Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
Berlin Wall Memorial
Photos & Highlights
- Trace the path of the Berlin Wall
- Led by a local expert in 20th-century history
Select a date
Tour Description
More than 30 years after its fall, the Berlin Wall still looms large. Led by an expert in 20th-century history, this 3-hour Berlin Wall walking tour traces the footprint of the wall through the city’s center, unraveling the complex forces that shaped Berlin's history. We will investigate the meaning behind the Wall's construction, the realities of life in a divided city, and the dramatic events of its fall. We will also visit the Berlin Wall Memorial.
Berlin Wall Tour
For over a quarter century, the imposing concrete barrier of the Berlin Wall with its notorious “death strip” stood as an ominous reminder of the divide between Western Europe and the Eastern Bloc. Beginning at the Berlin Wall Memorial, the site of some of the most astonishing escape attempts from the communist East, we will explore numerous exhibitions, memorials, artworks, and historical locations. We will see how the Wall was constructed and expanded, how it operated as a symbol of the Cold War, and how and why it ultimately fell. Finally, we will discuss the irony that Berlin is now deeply associated with a structure that no longer exists.
A New Germany
After the momentous dismantling of the Wall began in 1989, larger issues of national identity in newly unified Germany immediately arose. As we continue our walk and pass the many memorial sites along our route—including the “ghost stations” exhibit at Nordbahnhof—we will consider vital questions about the tension in Germany’s difficult history. On one hand is the desire to move on and leave these troubles in the past; on the other, the need to preserve what remains of this history.
Depending on the day and the guide, our walk often ends at the Brandenburg Gate or Potsdamer Platz. Even as our time together comes to a close, we'll still have big questions to mull over. Should the divisions of the city be erased completely? Or, etched forever into its memory? The physical barriers of the Berlin Wall have mostly vanished, but the shockwaves caused by its rise and fall carry on today.
Addenda
If you'd like to learn more about the Cold War through the lens of architecture, check out our Berlin Cold War tour. Also, our Berlin Wall Tour for Kids offers a counterpart to this walk, specially designed for groups with young children.
FAQ
Where does the walk end?
This walk usually ends around the Brandenburg Gate/Potsdamer Platz area.
This walk usually ends around the Brandenburg Gate/Potsdamer Platz area.
Why doesn't this walk visit the East Side Gallery or Checkpoint Charlie?
We think that these sites are not the strongest places to dig into the history of the Berlin Wall. We do include the East Side Gallery on our Berlin Wall for kids tour because we think it's a great place to visit with children. But we find that the Berlin Wall Memorial and the other locations that we visit on this tour offer far more authentic experiences and deeper insights into Cold War history for adults ready to learn. Plus, the sites are geographically spread out, so we've chosen to leave them out in the interest of time.
We think that these sites are not the strongest places to dig into the history of the Berlin Wall. We do include the East Side Gallery on our Berlin Wall for kids tour because we think it's a great place to visit with children. But we find that the Berlin Wall Memorial and the other locations that we visit on this tour offer far more authentic experiences and deeper insights into Cold War history for adults ready to learn. Plus, the sites are geographically spread out, so we've chosen to leave them out in the interest of time.
Experts
Where You'll Start
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191 Reviews
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I thought it was quite interesting to get the perspective on the Wall from someone who had actually lived in East Berlin as a child. Since I had already covered some of the ground on my own, the guide was responsive in trying to adjust the itinerary to take in things I had not already seen. Again, I would not have been likely to see the East Gallery on my own, which was an interesting site.
Elizabeth
Reviewed on:
Dec 11, 2013
When you first meet Harry, you quickly discover how passionate he is about the history of Berlin and, in our case, making certain that we walked away with a clear understanding of the sequences of events and practical consequences of life before, during, and after the Berlin Wall.
An avid Berlin historian with a deep knowledge base, Harry is very prepared, organized, and very quickly and comfortably takes you from the 'general to the specific' including an appropriate use of visual tools.
Barb
Reviewed on:
Oct 12, 2013
We loved this tour, from the area covered to the docent, Chris Benedict. Chris's first hand knowledge and experience just added to the richness of the sights, history and information she shared. This was a remarkable experience and her passion and knowledge shone through. We will recommend this to others for a very long time!
The only thing I can suggest to make it better is to include the German description of the meeting place along with the English. We did a bit of a circle because the signage was in German and we didn't realize that was the visitor's centre we were supposed to meet her at.
Again, this was a terrific tour. Loved, loved, loved it and loved Chris and the wealth of knowledge and first-hand experience that she brought to it.
Shelly
Reviewed on:
Aug 13, 2013
