Berlin Office

The Oberbaum Bridge as seen from the office

Welcome To Berlin!

Welcome to the Berlin office! We're glad to have you here!

Come and join us for some German beer, some Currywurst, and our fun new space...

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Office Logistics

To access the building use the driveway to the courtyard of Schlesische Strasse 27 and go straight until the end of the area. Then enter Haus 3 entrance C on the lefthand side. You can use either stairs or the elevator to go to the 4th Floor.

Accessibility

The building entrance door opens automatically. However, the next door needs to be opened manually. Once you pass them, there are two elevators on the righthand side. Press the button and choose 4th floor (it is where our welcome/reception area is located). There is a grey door on the right when you exit the elevator on the 4th floor; they remain open. The glass door at the end of the short corridor can be opened with a badge. There are two floors in the office connected by an internal stairwell. If you want to use the kitchen or event space on the 3rd floor, please take the same elevator you used to get to the 4th / reception floor. There are 2 accessible toilets, one on each floor. -3rd floor- On the lefthand side as you enter the event & community space. -4th floor- On the lefthand side as you enter the reception area.

Getting Here

Traveling to Berlin

Berlin has one functional airport: Berlin-Brandeburg Airport[ BER]

Berlin is also well connected by train. The closest major station for long distance and international trains is the Ostbahnhof. If the train does not stop at Ostbahnhof, then the Hauptbahnhof is the next best choice.

Public transportation

Indicating the next local train ("S-Bahn"), subway ("U-Bahn"), or bus station.

The subway ("U-Bahn") station closest to the office is Schlesisches Tor, served by subway line U1 (which actually drives above the earth in this section of the line). Another great choice is S-Bahn station Warschauer Straße, from which it is a 10 to 15-minute walk to the office, or Treptower Park, from which you can take a 10-minute walk or bus 165/265 to Taborstraße right in front of the office. You can find information on the metro service and maps here: http://www.bvg.de/en/Travel-information

• The transit authority in Berlin is VBB. Most inner city services are operated by BVG and S-Bahn-Berlin.
• There are three fare zones in Berlin: A, B, and C. A is the inner city, bounded by the Ringbahn (S41/S42). B is between the Ringbahn and the Brandenburg border. C is Brandenburg.
• Tickets are sold as AB, BC or ABC. An AB or BC can be extended to the third zone with the purchase of an "Anschlussfahrausweis". This also applies to single rides in concert with a flat rate (daily/weekly/monthly) ticket.
• You will almost exclusively use AB tickets. The main exception is a trip to Schönefeld Airport (SXF), which requires zone C
• A ticket from BVG can be used on an S-Bahn-Berlin and vice versa
• A ticket from BVG/S-Bahn-Berlin can be used on regional trains within the ticketed zone. These are trains which have a number like "RE1" or "RB1". They are primarily operated by DB Regio (mainly red), ODEG (grey with yellow lettering) and NEB (blue and white).
• A ticket from BVG/S-Bahn-Berlin cannot be used on long-distance trains, even within the ticketed zone. Google maps sometimes suggest these routes in their transit directions. These are trains with routes like "IC 500", "EC 40" or "ICE 100". In Berlin, these are often grey with a thin horizontal red stripe (DB), light blue (PKP), dark blue (ČD) or light blue with a white stripe (MÁV)
• A single ride ticket is valid for two hours, but only for one direction.
• Berlin time-based transit tickets are valid until 3:00 AM the following day
• Subway and S-Bahn train map (region ABC) (PDF)
• Subway and S-Bahn train map (city/region AB) (PDF)
• Tram map (PDF)
• Interactive map
• Day tickets are cheaper when taking three rides or more. Also: buying tickets in sets of 4 gives you a decent deal.
• Day tickets for groups up to five people are dirt-cheap.
• Multi-day tickets (regular ones or the "City/Welcome" variety which allow rebates in certain museums and restaurants) are not really a good deal.
• Every ticket machine also sells special tickets, but they're hidden in sub-menus. Keep digging! Most support changing to English on the main screen.
• Remember to always validate your ticket before boarding a subway, S-Bahn or regional train. Ticket validation machines are located near the ticket machine itself and on the platforms.
• Most ticket machines accept coins. Ticket machines might additionally accept a combination of credit card, banknotes <= 10€, any banknote and EC card (German debit cards).
• If the ticket machine doesn't like your coin, rub the edge against the machine and try again

Smartphone Apps

Google maps give pretty good transit directions in Berlin and are available for Ios and Android. Transit app, Here maps, and Citymapper also work well

The single best public transportation app for Android is Öffi. It covers all of Germany and is available for free through Google Play.

• Open "Öffi Directions", choose My current location as starting point and Schlesisches Tor (U-Bahn stop close to the office) or Taborstraße (bus stop directly in front of the office) as your destination, and you should be good to go.

There's also the BVG Fahrinfo app, which is BVG's official transit app. This app gives really good transit directions as well as schedules. You can also buy tickets directly from the app.

From BER Brandenburg Airport

• NOTE: you will require a ticket in fare zone ABC
• Hop on S9 and get off at S Treptower Park, and then switch to bus 165/265 [direction Stadtmitte/ Maerkisches Museum]. It is just a 5 min ride and you get off directly in front of the office building courtyard [Taborstrasse].

From Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Ostbahnhof or Alexanderplatz train station

• The recommended route is the S7 or S9. All of these stations are on all of these routes. From the station, take the route to Warschauer Strasse station. From Warschauer Strasse station, either walk or take the U1 one stop to Schlesisches Tor U-Bahn.

My Taxi

If you know you need to take a lot of taxis while you are in town, we suggest downloading the FreeNow app. You can filter taxis by who takes card, how many people you need to pick up etc.

• Most taxi rides within central Berlin are around 15 EUR.

Visiting Berlin

Hotels

Michelberger Hotel

http://michelbergerhotel.com/ 15min walk from the office. Free yoga class on Thursdays, make their own coconut water. Rooms range from "Cozy" (very tiny) to a larger scale. More hipster vibe. Very different from your usual hotel. It's an experience in itself but not for everyone. Drawback: some rooms are very small. It may get loud as it overlooks a shopping mall and a busy street.

Hotel Hampton Inn by Hilton

https://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/berlin/hampton-by-hilton-berlin-city-east-side-gallery-BERMUHX/index.html Only 1.2 km from the office. The rooms are spacious, should have AC. Very good breakfast!

Hotel Johann

https://www.hotel-johann-berlin.de/ in Johanniterstrasse (U1 Prinzenstr). This is definitely outside of walking distance, but if you take the U1 towards Schlesisches Tor, you are close.

Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten

http://vj-hotels.com/ in Skalitzer Str (U1 Görlitzer Bhf). Similar as Hotel Johann, just 2 stops closer to the office.

Tipping & Money

• Local Currency: Euro
• It is customary in Germany to tip a little by rounding up and around 10% at restaurants for good service. Tipping in bars is not something many Europeans do.
• Not many places accept Credit/Debit Card. Many smaller restaurants and shops do not accept credit cards like in the US and other larger European cities. Please be prepared to pay in cash. It's a good practice in Berlin to ask in advance of making a restaurant reservation if they accept credit cards.

Things to do in Berlin

Museums

• Computerspielemuseum – computer games museum (see Wikipedia) in Friedrichshain
• DDR-Museum – an interactive museum about the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in Mitte
• Museum Insel [1] - 'Museum Island' is a unique complex of 5 significant national museums on the Spree Island. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Sight Seeing

• Fernsehturm am Alexanderplatz – best view of the city, but long waiting lines
• Oranienstr. in Kreuzberg – lots of cafes, bars, and restaurants
• Take one ride around the S-Bahn-Ring. Train lines 41 or 42. A public transport ticket (region AB) is only 2.70 EUR. The full circle takes about an hour and will show you many facets of the city and you'll see people from all walks of life.
• Teufelsberg – the old NSA listening post
• Berliner Unterwelten – awesome guided tours through old bunkers and other abandoned, mostly underground places.

Websites for short stays!

• 24 Hours Guide
• 12 Hours Guide

Restaurants

Freischwimmer[2]
Vor dem Schlesischen Tor 2, 10997 Berlin
Waterside dining space with wooden decking over the water, comfy rooms, serving an eclectic menu.

Burgermeister
Oberbaumstraße 8, 10997 Berlin
Delicious and fast burgers right at the U1 Schlesisches Tor.

Sadhu https://foursquare.com/v/sadhu/4afef6f7f964a520323222e3
Falckensteinstr. 41, 10997 Berlin Wrangelkiez

Excellent Indian Food! Can accommodate medium to large parties with a reservation.

Craft Beer and Micro Breweries

Hopfenreich
Sorauer Str. 31, 10997 Berlin
If you’re looking for a bar with craft beers from Berlin, Germany and all over the world you should check this one out. It's quite close to the office.

Herman Belgian Bar
Schönhauser Allee 173, 10119 Berlin
Craft beer bar in Prenzlauer Berg with a focus on Belgian craft beers.

Vagabund Brauerei
Antwerpener Str. 3, 13353 Berlin
Micro Brewery and bar in Wedding selling their own beer (and teaching you how to brew yourself, if you care). Slightly more exotic than the rest and somewhat far out, but you're essentially sitting next to the beer brewing pots you're drinking from. This is the place to be if you're into exotic IPA style brews.

Brauhaus Lemke
Dircksenstraße 143, 10178 Berlin
Very, very German and not nearly as bad as it sounds. They serve decent foods and very tasty beer from their own micro brewery. Pro-tipp: order a "Bierprobe", which is a small sample of all their beers. Located right next to S-Bahn stop Hackescher Markt and in walking distance from Alexanderplatz. The place has a nice, but slightly hidden outside area in the back.

Cocktail Bars

Schwarze Traube
Wrangelstraße 24, 10997 Berlin
Easily one of the best cocktail bars of Berlin, perhaps even the best. About a 15 minute walk from the office to the South-West. Cocktails are tailored to you taste, and please don't even think about ordering a Margarita, as these highly-skilled people have better things to do than making standard cocktails. It's really quite the taste experience. The place is tiny, so you need to reserve a table or go early. Don't expect to fit large groups, though. Six or eight is probably the max.

John Muir
Skalitzer Str. 51, 10997 Berlin
Good Cocktails and live music in the heart of Kreuzberg.

Hacker / Maker Spaces

XHain
Grünberger Str. 14, 10243 Berlin
One of the youngest maker spaces of Berlin located near S-Bahn stop Warschauer Straße. It's just a 15-minute walk from the office. The space is very active and we hear that people there are unusually friendly and welcoming.

c-base
Rungestraße 20, 10179 Berlin
The largest hackerspace of the city located directly on the river Spree near Subway/S-Bahn station Jannowitzbrücke. It's not easy to find because it's located in the second backyard from the street. Open every day, it has regular and irregular events on most of the evenings and parties on the weekends. The included bar also sells the legendary "Tschunk".

Raumfahrtagentur
Gerichtstr. 15, 13347 Berlin
Need to quickly machine your metal parts, 3D-print a case for your electronics project, or sew your pants? Or reverse-engineer your DNA in a biolab, smell the vegetables or just hang out in the hot tub of a massively green backyard garden? The "Space Agency" is one of the most well-equipped fablabs you'll find in this country, and always worth a little visit.

Berlin Office Location

Address:
Mozilla Berlin
MZ Denmark
Gebäude 3, 4. Obergeschoss
Schlesische Straße 27
10997 Berlin
Germany

Additional Information

• Finding the office (location on OpenStreetMap): Use driveway Schlesische Str. 27 (see photo). Walk along the cobblestone path all the way to the end. We are in the white building, and the entrance is on the left side right before the path ends (see photo). Enter through the door marked "Treppenhaus C" (see photo), and go up to the main reception on the 4th floor. We are alternately listed as MZ Denmark on building signs.

Emergency Information

• Emergency Services: 110 (police), 112 (ambulance, fire), mobile networks also support 911