Berlin, 9 January 2009 More than 140 discount offers, free travel on public transportation for up to five days, and a handy Berlin Guide in pocket format – the Berlin Welcome Card all-in-one package for 2009 is more extensive than ever. The claim “And the city belongs to you” turns out to be quite appropriate. Germany’s most popular city pass makes it possible to experience the capital in an economical, informative, and individual manner.

It consists of two practical individual parts: the Berlin WelcomeCard Ticket which provides free travel on bus and rail transportation within the capital, now for up to five days, and numerous discounts at the most attractive tourist and cultural highlights in the metropolis. In addition, this ticket is supplemented by a practical Berlin Guide in pocket format that offers all important information in both German and English. On top of that, a schematic overview of the public transportation system makes orientation a snap during a sightseeing tour through the city on the Spree River.

Whether it is the Television Tower at the Alexanderplatz or Madame Tussaud’s Unter den Linden, the Charlottenburg Palace or the Tierpark Berlin – these and numerous other sites worth seeing offer at least a twenty-five percent discount on admissions upon presentation of the Berlin WelcomeCard. New attractions that are now covered by this favorite city pass include the Bell Tower in the Olympiapark Berlin and the Ephraim Palace. Exhibitions held in the latter can even be visited free of charge by WelcomeCard holders.

In total, both residents and guests of the city may take advantage of a total of 142 different discounts. They can save not only at museums and tourist sites, but also with sightseeing tours and health spa offers as well as dining and cultural highlights. New partners in this area include the Theater des Westens and the Kabarett-Theater Distel, which offer a twenty-five percent discount on ticket prices.

Another highlight is the “Partner of the Month” campaign. Every month, selected partners of the Berlin WelcomeCard will offer additional privileges. Whether it is free drinks, tours without charge, or discounts on admissions, visitors to the capital will profit from the variety on offer from the city pass as well as from the information section of the accompanying volume, the Berlin Guide.

A major theme for the year 2009 will be “20 Years Since the Fall of the Wall”. Eight pages are devoted to the history of the gray bulwark, showing traces that still exist within the cityscape as well as the one-time course of the Wall. In addition, there is an overview of events with permanent exhibitions in Berlin as well as the “walk the wall” guide from Discovery Tours, another of the partners of the Berlin WelcomeCard. It offers the first GPS-driven official multimedia tour along the Berlin Wall.

The all-in-one adventure ticket from BTM is available in various versions, so travelers can select the option that best suits their individual travel plans. The Berlin WelcomeCard is good for either 48 or 72 hours, and now for five days, as well, and the public transportation ticket is valid either only for the A and B zones of Berlin or else the A, B, and C zones which also include Potsdam. And families save even more: with some of the plans, adults may take along up to three children under fourteen years of age at no additional charge. Culture vultures will also enjoy the economical combination package Berlin WelcomeCard Culture+ with which every version of the adventure ticket can be flexibly supplemented by the museum pass “SchauLUST Museen Berlin” museum pass.

The Berlin WelcomeCard is available at the four BERLIN infostores of Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH at prices starting at 16.50 euros. They are located in the Hauptbahnhof main railway station (northern entrance), the Neues Kranzler Eck (Kurfürstendamm Passage), the Brandenburg Gate (south wing), and the ALEXA Shopping Center at the Alexander¬platz. It can also be ordered online at www.berlin-welcomecard.de and can be purchased at all automats and sales points in the S-Bahn commuter rail, the Berlin Transit Authority (BVG), on BVG buses, at Berlin airports, and in many hotels. More information is available through the service hotline 030 / 25 00 25 and on the Internet at www.visitBerlin.de.

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