Useful Information, Berlin

I didn't see any playing grounds for small kids in Berlin. Do they hide them somewhere?
Instead I did find one but outside Berlin on my way back to Poland. It was a small playing ground at the first rest area ("rasthaus" in German) along Autobahn (freeway/motorway) 13 (E36, E55) in Motzen.

Follow the link below for info on Berlin for kids, please.

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Well, I guess it is good to know that you wont have any problem for certain meeds when in Berlin, especially if loaded with lots of beers. Those who are not comfortable to use cafe-bars or restaurants, and many of them have awornings like "this is not public toliete", can use this public toiletes which are very clean and in perfect conditions. As I could see it, the city authorities take care of toiletes and they do it very well.

Internet Cafes

There are several internet-cafes that are centrally located in the city, for example the 'Easy Everything' at Kurfuerstendamm/Meinekestrasse or the 'Website' at Joachimsthaler Strasse.

Easy Everything:

Address: Kurfuerstendamm 224, 10719 Berlin

HOW TO GET THERE
By train: Bahnhof Zoo
By U-Bahn: Kurfuerstendamm
By bus: 109/ 129

Other internet cafes:

ALL eins e.V.
Friedrichshagener Strasse 10, Koepenick

Alpha InternetCafe
Dunckerstrasse 72, Prenzlauer Berg

C Fox Station Spandau
Seegefelderstrasse 1, Spandau

C Fox Station Ostbahnhof
Am Ostbahnhof 9, Friedrichshain

Hellnet Hellersdorf
Ernst Bloch Strasse 39, Hellersdorf

Hellnet Neukoelln
Karl Marx Strasse 66, Neukoelln

Internet Terminal
Kantstrasse 38, Charlottenburg

Internetwork Berlin
Gaudystrasse 1, Prenzlauer Berg

Mystery Island
Leibnizstrasse 17, Charlottenburg

Netlounge
Auguststrasse 89, Mitte

If you wanna book a sightseeing tour or just need information on something in Berlin, there are several tourist information offices in Berlin:

at Europa Center:
Entrance at Budapester Strasse
Nov. 1 - March 31:
Mon-Sat 10 a.m. ? 7 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
(April 1 - Oct. 31 extended opening hours)

at Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate):
South Wing
Nov. 1 - March 31
daily 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
(April 1 - Oct. 31 extended opening hours)

at the Fernsehturm (TV Tower):
Alexanderplatz
Nov. 1 - March 31
daily 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
(April 1 - Oct. 31 extended opening hours)

additional openings in 2006:

at Kranzler Eck
Kurfuerstendamm 21 / Passage
Nov. 1 - March 31:
daily 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
(April 1 - Oct. 31 extended opening hours)
Opening April 2006


in the Pavilion at Reichstag
Opening May 2006


at Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)
Opening May 2006

Post offices are typically open from Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm, and on Saturday 8am till 13pm (in general).

Price:

The link below will show you the prices to different parts of the world for sending letters or postcards:

Pricelist

GLOSSARY:
by Airmail - per Luftpost
COD - Nachnahme
Customs - Zoll
Delivery Charge - Zustellgeb?hr
Insurance - Versicherung
Letter - Brief
Mail box - Briefkasten
Money order - Wertbrief
Parcel post - Paketpost
Post card - Postkarte
Post office box - Postfach
Counter (in PO) - Schalter
Postal order - Postanweisung
Proof of mailing - Einlieferungsschein
Recorded Mail - Einschreiben
Special delivery (priority paid) - per Eilboten
Stamp - Briefmarke
Telegram - Telegram

I met these two people on my picture next to Jewish synagogue at Frankelufer 10-16 (Kreuzberg). They were watching and guarded the place.

The Berlin's police (polizei) was dressed like in the whole Germany in dark green uniforms. I was told that they are OK if you are OK :-). So, better behave in Berlin.

There were four large flags of Federal Republic of Germany put on the top of four corners of the Reichstag - a seat of the Deutscher Bundestag or German federal government.

During cold war this black-red-yellow was a flag of West Germany while East Germany added typical for Soviet block logo (click here to see it) in the middle of the flag during the cold war.

I remember my very amusing trip to Kecskemet, Hungary in late 80'. I met there two young Hungarians who invited us to their house/wooden cottage in the middle of nowhere (puszta) and they had large Hungarian flag hang on a wall with a whole in place of that logo which was surely forbidden that time.

There were information tables put on a street in front of some tourist attractions in Berlin.
This one on my picture was put next to Branderburg Gate and contained old photographs and historical information on the famous Gate. Texts were written in four languages: English, French, German and Russian. These were languages of four sectors of Berlin since World War II ended.

Walking around various districts of Berlin I found less known but interesting, old buildings with no information for visitors (even in German) put outside.

There were quite many bright yellow post boxes put on streets of the centre/downtown of Berlin. Each contained two slits with explanations in German:
1. Postleitzahlen (post code) 10000 - 16999 (Region Berlin/Branderburg) - for letters to that region,
2. Andere Postleitzahlen - for letters to other regions including abroad.

Whenever you are looking for the post office (Postämt) in Germany look for characteristic bright yellow logo of Bundespost (German Post) with black "postal/hunting?-horn", on the right on my picture. And don't forget to look at your watch, there were no non-stop post offices in Berlin, or I didn't find them.

The logo was put on my small centre/downtown of Berlin map to mark each post office what I found very useful. I got the map free at my hotel