War in Ukraine: Information and support options

Berlin, 1.3.2022 / Last update: 24.3.2022

Berlin helps: A great wave of solidarity has emerged in Berlin's Visitor Economy. The hospitality industry is actively helping Ukrainian refugees and the event industry is showing itself as a strong network and crisis helper - despite the challenging and long-lasting corona-related difficult situation and the absence of Berlin's guests for months.

On this page we put together information and support options:

Senate Chancellery Berlin: Multilingual website Information for Refugees from Ukraine

Multilingual service number of the State of Berlin: Information on assistance and support options at +49 30 90 127 127 (Monday to Sunday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., languages: Ukrainian, Russian, German and English)

visitBerlin continuously provides information and insights available in the context of Berlin tourism via the market research tool Visitor Insight in the section "News / Ukraine Conflict". Please log in for this. If you have any questions about Visitor Insight, please feel free to contact our colleagues at visitBerlin Market Research: marktforschung@visitBerlin.de.

Welcome campaign "Rays of hope in Berlin": Berlin offers free admission to Berlin's attractions for refugees from Ukraine, an initiative of visitBerlin and Berlin's attractions and museums.

Berlin's cumulative catering expertise: Numerous members of visitBerlin Convention Partner e.V. provided support at the request of the crisis team of the Senate and visitBerlin and set up a catering service with food and drinks for 3,000 arriving aid seekers every day in the Welcome Hall of Berlin Central Station.

"eat! Berlin - The Gourmet Festival": support for refugees from Ukraine, including preparing and distributing sandwiches daily for people arriving in Berlin.

visitBerlin continuously provides information and insights available in the context of Berlin tourism via the market research tool Visitor Insight in the section "News / Ukraine Conflict". Please log in for this. If you have any questions about Visitor Insight, please feel free to contact our colleagues at visitBerlin Market Research: marktforschung@visitBerlin.de.

Welcome! "Rays of hope in Berlin" offers refugees from Ukraine free admission to Berlin's attractions

An initiative of visitBerlin and Berlin's attractions and museums

Around 20 Berlin tourist attractions and museums are giving a face to the "Rays of hope in Berlin" campaign initiated by visitBerlin. They are now offering free admission to refugees from Ukraine for experiences in Berlin to make it easier for them to get to know the German capital. More information in Ukrainian, German or English is available at visitBerlin.de/rays-hope-berlin.

The free tickets are available to refugees at Berlin Tourist Infos at Berlin Central Station, Brandenburg Gate, Humboldt Forum or the Berlin Brandenburg WelcomeCenter at Berlin Brandenburg Airport upon presentation of a Ukrainian passport or proof of a temporary residence permit from Ukraine.

Among the offers are a city tour, the Panorama Point lookout, all the houses of the National Museums in Berlin and museums such as the GDR Museum, the German Historical Museum, the Computer Games Museum and the Bröhan Museum. Attractions that are especially popular with young people, such as the Museum of Natural History Berlin, the Labyrinth Children's Museum Berlin and the MACHmit! Museum for Children are likely to provide a little joy for children. For sporting activities, refugees from Ukraine can visit Wellenwerk for indoor surfing and go climbing at Südbloc Boulderhalle or Waldhochseilgarten Jungfernheide. The parks Gärten der Welt and Britzer Garten are also participating. Evening events with acrobatics, dance and theater can be perceived in the Chameleon.

In addition, Berlin's Ukrainian guests can find out what they can do in Berlin at visitBerlin.de or in English at visitBerlin.de/en and on the blog visitBerlin.de/de/blog. Also recommended are visitBerlin's free apps as digital city guides (visitBerlin.de/en/berlin-websites-and-berlin-apps): Moving stories, tour suggestions and street art highlights are presented by the story app About Berlin (visitBerlin.de/en/about-berlin-app). The neighborhood app for the capital, Going Local Berlin (visitBerlin.de/en/going-local-berlin-app), has numerous insider tips and special places off the beaten path.

Berlin brings people together - tourism as a counterweight to war

Welcome culture par excellence in the city of freedom: Berlin's tourism industry in particular is currently providing great support when it comes to accommodation, catering or access to leisure activities. A small ray of hope in these gloomy times. This clearly visible Berlin commitment is an important sign of unity and solidarity.

Tourism connects and brings people together, educates and promotes tolerance for other ways of life. There is "really no better counterweight to war than tourism," said Robert, the Minister of Economy and Climate Protection, on the first day of the ITB 2022 International Travel Trade Show, which was overshadowed by the war in Ukraine. After all, people gain new experiences when traveling to other countries, meet each other and, in the best case, friendships are formed. "This is how international understanding can emerge as a lived everyday experience," the minister said.

However, the current war threatens what our industry is all about and what it stands for: peaceful coexistence, free travel and the peaceful encounter of people from different cultures. Berlin stands by Ukraine - with all people who want to live peacefully and in freedom. In this spirit, hundreds of thousands of people from Berlin are sending signals for peace to the world.