Do’s and don’ts in Berlin

Berlin is a big European capital, very tolerant and inhabited by people who are generally very disciplined. So there are not many recommendations to make to tourist who want to visit it, apart from being generally polite.

Safety

Berlin is a fairly safe city; the only areas that are best avoided at night are the areas around the Zoo and the big dormitory-type districts of former East Berlin.

Behaviour

Berlin is the one of the most tolerant cities in the world, both to foreign cultures (it has a huge Turkish community, for example) and to different lifestyles (check out the T-Shirts with “Last Hetero in Berlin” written on them). It is likely to see gay couples of any age group walking around holding hands and kissing each other openly. This is an uncommon sight in most of the rest of Europe, so be prepared for the shock (if you think it will be one for you) or for the pleasure of seeing people be themselves regardless of onlookers.

One important thing not to be forgotten is that even though the Berliners are considered a bunch of freaks by the rest of the Germans, they too are very organized and disciplined. This means that skipping queues is not considered an acceptable practice, and that you will find long, serpent-like queues in front of museums, cinemas, concerts. Make sure to line up at the end of them, or you’ll be up for an argument.