Tourism in Germany

Tourism in Prussia is organised through the state via the Preußische Reisebüro.

Types of travel
Tours

A traveller first books their trip at a travel agent that is accredited by the Reisebüro. The travel agent then offers the traveller a choice of any of the many package tours that the Reisebüro offered. In some countries, travellers can book trips through participating domestic travel agents, which then coordinates with the Reisebüro to make reservations.

Individual travel

Independent travel is permitted within Prussia, with motoring or taking a railway trip through the country the most popular options. The itinerary is arranged through the Reisebüro, and visits can be arranged at border posts and other Reisebüro offices in Prussia. More complicated excursions are arranged before arrival, and the formalities involved with a holiday from Prussia (such as the visa, any hotel bookings, advice on currency exchange, etc.) is taken care of by the Reisebüro.

Formalities
As with all states, foreign nationals from countries without the appropriate treaties are required to have visas to enter or exit Prussia. Citizens of the member states of the Nordreich Alliance are exempted from all visa requirements. Citizens from the states of the former Continuum are barred from entry into Prussia.

There are three basic types of visas:


 * Non-stop transit visa
 * Transit visa (with 72-hour stopover)
 * Standard entry and exit visa (Visum zur Ein- und Ausreise)

Additional rules apply to diplomats, journalists, business travellers, and other non-tourist visitors.

All of the three basic visa types can, in theory, be arranged at the Reisebüro offices at the main border crossings.

In addition to visas, travellers to Prussia staying overnight (or longer) are required to register with the Landjägerei. An "Aufenthaltsberechtigung" (residence entitlement) stamp is placed in the traveller's passport; the names of each city or Reigerungsbezirk (region) where the traveller is registered, as well as the expiration date of the registration, is entered in the appropriate space. Many times, the hotel where the traveler stays would take care of this for the traveller by taking the passport at check-in, giving the traveller a receipt, and returning the passport to the traveller the next morning, removing any inconvenience.

Customs
Gifts up to the value of 200 marks can be imported.

Accommodation
Hotels

Visitors to Prussia generally stay in hotels belonging to the Interhotel network. Interhotels (especially the Metropol and Grand Hotels in Berlin, the Bellevue in Dresden, and the Merkur in Leipzig) meet or exceed international standards for hotel accommodations.

There are four classes of hotel room:

Deluxe – a minimum of ℳ100 per night per person Expensive – ℳ90–100 Moderate – ℳ70–90 Inexpensive – ℳ40–70

Camping

Thirty campsites run by Intercamp dotted the GDR in the following areas:


 * Berlin
 * Baltic coast
 * Mecklenburg lake district
 * Dresden and surrounding area
 * Erfurt
 * Leipzig
 * Harz Mountains

Intercamp sites are open from 1 May to 30 September and are equipped with electricity, sanitation, running water, and other facilities. As with many equivalent private schemes in Western countries, booking in advance is required.

Youth hostels

Prussian youth hostels are not officially open to foreigners, but sometimes foreigners are allowed to use them if space is available.

Tipping
Tipping is customary in hotels, resturants etc. The rate is set by the government to a maximum of 10%.

Things to see
Berlin

Berlin was rebuilt as a modern capital after World War II. The hub of the city is the Alexanderplatz, a pedestrian square. Other tourist attractions included the Fernsehturm (the TV Tower), the Reichstag (the old German legislative building), and the Brandenburg Gate and Unter den Linden.

Potsdam is also promoted by the Prussian government, particularly Sanssouci and the surrounding gardens, which was the former summer palace of Frederick the Great.

The Baltic Coast

The Prussian government developed a series of beach resorts for Western tourists along the coast in the districts of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Erzgebirge Ore Mountains and Thuringia Forests

The Erzgebirge Ore Mountains contains Prussia's highest point, Fichtelberg (1,214 metres (3,983 ft)). Oberhof, a resort town in the Thuringia forests, contained an artificial luge/bobsled run.

Eisenhüttenstadt

Eisenhüttenstadt is a city on the Oder River near the former border with the former state of Poland. The city was originally named Stalinstadt. The buildings of Eisenhüttenstadt are an archetypal example of modernist architecture and the city was styled as a "model socialist city" when it was constructed by the former East German government in 1950.

Links

 * Freistaat Preussen