Former East Berlin: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Key facts

What's included

Itinerary

1. Stop 1 Pass by

   Starting at Checkpoint Charlie, you’ll make your way down Friedrichstraße and into the heart of the historic city.

2. Stop 2 Pass by

   As you make your way down Friedrichstraße, I’ll share the stories behind the area’s architectural treasures, like Gendarmenmarkt Square and Unter den Linden, the famous boulevard.

3. Stop 3 Pass by

   On this tour you'll pass by and learn about the BlackBox Cold War Museum.

4. Stop 4 Pass by

   You'll hear the stories behind the area’s architectural treasures, like Gendarmenmarkt Square and Unter den Linden, the famous boulevard.

5. Stop 5 Pass by

   On this tour, you'll pass by and learn about the Neue Kirche.

6. Stop 6 Pass by

   I’ll point out various monuments and memorials, including the Friedrich Schiller monument in front of the Konzerthaus Berlin concert hall.

7. Stop 7 Pass by

   I’ll tell you why the French community was given the rights to use the Französischer Dom (French Dome church) for all eternity.

8. Stop 8 Pass by

   I’ll show you where to find the spa and pool in Hotel de Rome, once a state bank.

9. Stop 9 Pass by

   On this tour, you'll pass by and learn about St. Hedwig's Cathedral.

10. Stop 10 Pass by

    On this tour, you'll walk through Bebelplatz and learn about the monuments that surround it along the way.

11. Stop 11 Pass by

    I’ll point out various monuments and memorials, including Micha Ullman’s Empty Library, also known as the Book Burning Memorial, which commemorates the day Nazis burned books by Jewish and communist authors.

12. Stop 12 Pass by

    On this tour, you'll have a chance to learn about the oldest free-standing opera house in the world, the Berlin State Opera.

13. Stop 13 Pass by

    I’ll point out various monuments and memorials, including a statue of Frederic II on his horse in front of the buildings which were commissioned by the king and later transformed into Berlin’s first university, the Humboldt University.

14. Stop 14 Pass by

    On this tour, you'll pass by and learn about Palais am Festungsgraben.

15. Stop 15 Pass by

    On this tour, you'll pass by and learn about Maxim Gorki Theatre.

16. Stop 16 Pass by

    On this tour, you'll have a chance to discover a modern pieta by Käthe Kollwitz, exposed to rain and snow and housed in the Neue Wache (New Guard House).

17. Stop 17 Pass by

    On this tour, you'll pass by and learn about German Historical Museum.

18. Stop 18 Pass by

    On this tour, you’ll also have a chance to see where Angela Merkel used to live on Museum Island when she was Chancellor.

19. Stop 19 Pass by

    On this tour, you’ll also have a chance to take in the works of famous architects like the German Historical Museum by I.M. Pei, the James Simon Gallery by David Chipperfield, and the Altes Museum (Old Museum) by Friedrich Schinkel.

20. Stop 20 Pass by

    On this tour, you’ll also have a chance to take in the works of famous architects like the German Historical Museum by I.M. Pei, the James Simon Gallery by David Chipperfield, and the Altes Museum (Old Museum) by Friedrich Schinkel.

21. Stop 21 Pass by

    On this tour, you’ll also have a chance to take in the works of famous architects like the German Historical Museum by I.M. Pei, the James Simon Gallery by David Chipperfield, and the Altes Museum (Old Museum) by Friedrich Schinkel.

22. Stop 22 Pass by

    On this tour, you’ll also have a chance to take in the works of famous architects like the German Historical Museum by I.M. Pei, the James Simon Gallery by David Chipperfield, and the Altes Museum (Old Museum) by Friedrich Schinkel.

23. Stop 23 Pass by

    On this tour, you’ll also have a chance to hear about the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral).

24. Stop 24 Pass by

    On this tour, you’ll also have a chance to hear about the Humboldt Forum, where the Hohenzollern Palace used to be.

25. Stop 25 Pass by

    The tour ends in Lustgarten. Former East Berlin’s mix of architecture paints a picture of its fascinating history across different eras. It’s here that you’ll see remnants of the 17th-century baroque town and the Communist era, find traces of the city’s days as capital of the German Empire, and witness the devastation left by the World Wars. On this walking tour, you’ll also see newer buildings created by the architects who, once again, transformed East Berlin and the way the world saw it.

Meeting point & pickup

Meet at the starting point

Before arrival, please install the VoiceMap mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. This is a self-guided audio tour that you can start, pause, or restart at any time and complete at your own pace. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.

Cancellation & confirmation