Confirmed users
938
edits
MozWeek/Berlin2020: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
→Sustainability
Briannamark (talk | contribs) |
Briannamark (talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 386: | Line 386: | ||
'''InterContinental Hotel Berlin''' is Green Globe Certified. Green Globe Certification is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe Certification is based in California, USA and is represented in over 83 countries. Green Globe Certification is a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, supported by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Additonally, as part of IHG’s Green Engage™ program the InterContinental Berlin has implemented best practices at all operational levels. The innovative Environmental Management System not only measures the day-to-day energy, water and waste consumption, but also provides recommended actions – ‘green solutions’ – to improve energy conservation and the property’s carbon footprint score. | '''InterContinental Hotel Berlin''' is Green Globe Certified. Green Globe Certification is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe Certification is based in California, USA and is represented in over 83 countries. Green Globe Certification is a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, supported by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Additonally, as part of IHG’s Green Engage™ program the InterContinental Berlin has implemented best practices at all operational levels. The innovative Environmental Management System not only measures the day-to-day energy, water and waste consumption, but also provides recommended actions – ‘green solutions’ – to improve energy conservation and the property’s carbon footprint score. | ||
=='''In your spare time (likely pre/post)'''=== | |||
=====First things first===== | |||
Germany overall is widely diverse with regard to mentality, language, architecture, history, and more. In this guide we’re focusing on Berlin. However, if you have the opportunity to see a bit more of the country, you should definitely take it. We may also add that if you plan for a larger Europe trip, while there might be overlaps and similarities between the individual European countries, there are also lots and lots of differences -- and we’re by far not only referring to language. If you want to learn more about any other places you’re planning to go reach out to Mozillians who’re based there or otherwise know the city/country well. First-hand information is usually the most valuable and we have so many amazing people from anywhere in the world at our organization that it’s almost impossible that you don’t find someone who can help! | |||
=====Exploring the city -- beyond Charlottenburg and Mitte!===== | |||
For the All Hands week we’re going to be in Charlottenburg, one of the neighbourhoods most visited by tourists. Along with Mitte (basically the city center), it’s an attractive destination for shopping and sightseeing. Nevertheless, we can only recommend that you leave the usual tourist trail in order to get a more diverse impression of Germany’s capital. There’s, for example, kind-of-hipster Kreuzberg, where our German office is located -- along with a bunch of amazing bars, restaurants, clubs and much more. Or take vibrant Friedrichshain, which is just across the Spree river from Kreuzberg, or family-friendly Prenzlauer Berg, all of which have their own interesting tourist attractions that are complemented by a relaxed local vibe. Overall, Berlin has 12 boroughs and a total of 96 officially recognized localities, so there’s clearly a lot to see! | |||
=====Orientation===== | |||
Berlin is a pretty large city (891 qm, or 344 sq mi), so even Berliners use navigation apps regularly -- especially when leaving their “Kiez”. We therefore recommend that you download the Berlin map to your phone, as well, in order to make orientation easier, especially when doing some sightseeing. | |||
This is also due to peculiarities that may make orientation less obvious, such as house numbers which do not necessarily run in the same direction (up or down) everywhere: On a lot of streets, the numbers ascend on one side and descend on the other. So to avoid getting you lost, you should check the numbering scheme first: you can find the name of the street at nearly every street corner. The same sign will usually state the range of house numbers in that segment. | |||
Thanks to the subway system in particular, you can actually visit multiple neighbourhoods on the same day even if they’re not close. You can go from east to west in not much more than half an hour (if you’re lucky and have a good connection) and, even though it’s recommended to dedicate at least a few hours to each of the neighbourhoods you visit in order to get a proper impression, you should make use of it. Only by visiting different parts of the city that don’t share all of their history and demographics, you’ll be able to truly “see” Berlin. | |||
=====Sightseeing & history===== | |||
As mentioned (multiple times) before Berlin is full of history. It’s almost impossible to walk around the city for half an hour without coming across some sort of historical site. This ranges from a huge range of museums and galleries, which you’ll best get informed about through a guidebook, as well as historical buildings, such as churches. | |||
If you don’t mind the cold weather, make sure to set aside some time for sites outside. You could, for example, explore cold war history and go to Checkpoint Charlie, the former border crossing between East and West Berlin, which is undoubtedly one of the city’s top attractions. Another recommendation would be a visit to Hohenschönhausen, a former Stasi prison where East German dissidents were incarcerated. Tours of the prison are conducted daily and often led by a former prisoner, who will give you a real insight into this fascinating, albeit traumatic time in history. | |||
If you’re looking for something more cheerful and/or a bunch of suggestions for historical sightseeing options by neighbourhood, you should check out Wikivoyage, a free web-based travel guide that has also been called the “Wikipedia of travel guides”. Take a look at the article on City West, if you want to explore the vicinity of our All Hands location. Literally every other Berlin tourist would likely favor the eastern districts of Friedrichshain, Prenzlauer Berg and (western) Kreuzberg, for its lower price and a lot of international bars, cafés and many other tourist attractions. | |||
Links | |||
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Berlin/City_West | |||
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Berlin/East_Central | |||
=='''All Hands Expense Policy'''== | =='''All Hands Expense Policy'''== | ||