East Berlin and Cold War Half-Day Walking Tour

Highlights

  • You’ll be able to touch the remains of the Berlin Wall on this tour

  • Get an understanding of what life was like for Germans during this time

  • Meet at a convenient location by public transportation

Summary

Start your walking tour next to Hackescher Markt train station in East Berlin at 10am. Your guide will begin your tour by setting the scene: how did the U.S. and the USSR fall into a Cold War? How was Berlin caught in the middle of everything? How did military tensions Berlin split into two? Your guide will take you to the Berlin Wall memorial, where you’ll see a section of the Wall preserved in its original state, as well as a birds-eye view of the ‘Death Strip,’ where East Germany’s shoot-to-kill orders were carried out on would-be escapees. Next you’ll travel to the north of Berlin to Bornholmer Strasse, where the Wall came down on November 9, 1989. Here, your guide will explain the unlikely tale of how one East German politician’s mistake brought down the Berlin Wall. Continue deeper into East Berlin. You’ll see the Karl-Marx-Allee, a boulevard built as a monument to Stalin to demonstrate the new socialist utopia of the German Democratic Republic. You’ll also visit the headquarters of East Germany’s terrifying secret police, the Stasi, and learn how the East German state increasingly spied upon its own people, creating a system of complete government control over its citizens. Finish your walking tour at Alexanderplatz, the site of the iconic TV tower in the heart of the former East German capital.

Tour info

Duration
4 hours
Group Size
Pricing (From)
Commentary
Meeting Point
Dropoff location

Why take this tour?

Discover East Berlin on this half-day walking tour with a guide. Explore the capital city's main attractions such as the Berlin Wall, Alexanderplatz, and the secret police's headquarters. Plus, see significant points along the wall including where it came down in 1989. And learn what life was like for citizens of the German Democratic Republic during the war.

What’s included?

  • Professional guide

  • Gratuities

  • Food and drinks, unless specified

  • Berlin Transport AB Zone pass (approx 7.00 Euros)

Things to know

Before you book

  • Duration: 4h

  • Mobile tickets accepted

  • Instant confirmation

Covid Policy

  • Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
  • Guides required to regularly wash hands
  • Social distancing enforced throughout experience

Cancellation Policy

    For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

Operated by:

Original Berlin Walks

About operator:

Original Berlin Walks offers a variety of walking tours covering all sides of Berlin's history; from our 'all in one' Discover Berlin tour, to tour focusing on the Berlin Wall and the Nazi past, to whole day excursions such as Potsdam or the Sachsenhausen Conctentration Camp Memorial Site, if you want to learn about Berlin's past, then we're the people you need.

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