Ghost stations: Trains ran, but doors stayed shut.

The Berlin Wall not only cut through streets but also the U-Bahn and S-Bahn network. From 1961, three lines ran from West to West beneath East Berlin. The stations in the East were sealed off, guarded, and only entered for maintenance. Trains crept through at a walking pace, passengers peering into lit but empty rooms, past barbed wire, grates, and border posts. Today, the permanent exhibition "Border and Ghost Stations in Divided Berlin" at the Nordbahnhof S-Bahn station explains this unique world with photos, plans, and eyewitness accounts. It shows how the U6 and U8 lines, as well as the North-South S-Bahn, became "transit tracks" that officially existed but were full of exceptions in daily life. Floor markings indicate former barriers, making the absurdity of the system tangible. For a deeper dive, the central Berlin Wall Memorial along Bernauer Straße offers a documentation center, outdoor exhibition, and excellent contextual guidance. This makes the underground wall experienceable without pathos or kitsch, connecting the tunnel history with the traces on the surface.

Weekend Night Traffic: 24/7.

Berlin doesn't rely on taxis at night, but on its schedule. During the week, the U-Bahn lines run from around 4 AM to 1 AM; during the gaps, night buses and metro trams take over. On weekends, the city steps it up: U-Bahn and S-Bahn run continuously, usually every 10 to 15 minutes. This makes the journey home from concerts and clubs predictable and saves extra costs since you don't need a car. Conveniently, the night buses marked with "N" replace the U-Bahn lines on weekdays, ensuring most corridors are continuously covered. The system is also simple for visitors: fare zones A, B, C, along with day, 24-hour, or time-based tickets that are valid on buses, trams, S-Bahn, and U-Bahn. Those who fancy the night plan shorter routes to hubs like Zoologischer Garten, Alexanderplatz, Warschauer Straße, or Hermannstraße, where lines intersect. For spontaneous trips, the official Berlin.de site provides schedules and tips, and the BVG app offers departure times and updates on disruptions. This way, the nighttime city becomes a convenient playground with a guaranteed ride home.

A Sneaker as a Ticket: The EQT Support 93 Berlin.

In January 2018, the Berlin public transport company BVG and adidas showed that public transport can also have a sense of humor: 500 pairs of a special EQT model featured the distinctive BVG seat pattern, yellow laces, and an integrated annual pass for zones A and B. The price: 180 euros. The twist: The ticket was embedded as a fabric label in the tongue and was valid until December 31, 2018, but only if you wore the shoe. The campaign sold out within hours; fans camped out in the cold in front of the store. For BVG, it was a playful image campaign, for collectors, a piece of city history that combined pop culture, pricing logic, and public transport. Today, you can find the details in the adidas annual chronicle and reports from major media outlets. The story feels like a stress test for "public order vs. street culture" and shows how a sober infrastructure can make global headlines with a charming idea.

Ampelmännchen: Almost gone, then a cult.

The little man with a hat was designed in 1961 by traffic psychologist Karl Peglau to make pedestrian signals more intuitive. After reunification, the East German symbols were supposed to be replaced by the West German standard. This sparked a small-scale cultural battle: designers and fans, led by future entrepreneur Markus Heckhausen, collected old glass, made lamps, published a book, and convinced politicians and standardization bodies to allow the East German motif. Since 2005, the Ampelmännchen has even appeared in West Berlin districts, and many cities have adopted it as a friendlier, more recognizable figure. Today, the Ampelmännchen is a souvenir, a brand, and a nostalgic reminder of everyday life beyond grand slogans. It shows that reconciliation can also be achieved through good design: a hat, a belly, and very clear gestures. If you want to know more about how the rescue succeeded, it's worth looking into background texts, from Wikipedia to original sources from the Ampelmann company and current reports.