This 3-hour walking tour is designed to immerse you in divided Berlin – a place of ideological extremes, of espionage and intrigue, and of tyranny and heroism – while also considering the legacy of the division in a Germany that reunified in 1990.
Post-WW2 Berlin was a geopolitical battleground. Socialism and capitalism, dictatorship and democracy, and the United States and the Soviet Union all went head to head in the German capital. The most notorious symbol of the Cold War, the Berlin Wall, stood at the frontier of East and West, and people risked their lives trying to escape across it.
Your professional, local guide will meet you at your hotel, or a pre-arranged meeting point, and talk you through the broad history of Cold War Germany and Berlin.
You will then use public transportation to visit the East Side Gallery, the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall and the largest open air gallery in the world, and the Oberbaumbrücke – a former border crossing point between East and West Berlin. Moving back into the city centre you will visit the Palace of Tears museum, another former crossing point over the Wall and now an excellent museum, and the Brandenburg Gate, a potent symbol of the division and, now, of unity.
See where Reagan challenged Gorbachev to ‘tear down this wall!’ in 1987 and then travel through former ‘Ghost Stations’ to reach the official Berlin Wall Memorial. Look out over the former ‘Death Strip’, see where Berliners tunneled beneath the Wall, hear dramatic tales of escapes and tragic stories of loss at the border, and much more...
At the end of the tour your guide will accompany you back to your hotel, or to a drop-off point of your choosing. They will also give you tips and recommendations to help you make the most out of your stay.
As always your experience can be tailored to your preferences, so please let us know if you have any special requests or needs. We are also more than happy to help you with restaurant reservations and museum or gallery visits.
Please note: this tour requires the use of public transportation. These costs are not included in the price of the tour.