Discover Berlin: 2 Self-Guided Walks to Discover the City’s Historical Sites and Hidden Gems

Overview

With our two self-guided walking tours of Berlin you will discover more of this wonderful city and the history that has defined the area. In our first tour, join renowned historian Katie and culture vulture Colm as we hear about the Third Reich's rise to power and the build up to the Second World War. We’ll explore how Germany transformed in the 1930s and 40s, leading to the rise of the Nazi’s, the genocide of innocent citizens and the Second World War.

On our second tour we explore both East and West Berlin, visiting Ackerstraße, Tunnel 57 and the Berlin Wall. Trace where the Berlin Wall once stood and learn how Berlin's place in the Iron Curtain defined the city for the second half of the 20th century.

Start the Third Reich tour at Anhalter Bahnhof, a ruined train station once was known as the ‘gateway to the south’ and was one of the busiest train stations in the kingdom of Prussia. Learn about the birth of Germany and this station’s involvement in the Second World War.

Visit Martin Gropius Bau. Completed in 1881 and designed by the architects Martin Gropiu and Heino Schmieden, this was originally designed to house Berlin's Museum of Applied Arts. Martin Gropius Bau serves as a space for diverse temporary shows. From ancient Buddha sculptures of Pakistan to the artistically staged photographs of Cindy Sherman, this elegant gallery has something for everyone.

Visit the Topography of Terror, an open and free exhibition all about the Nazis rise to power and their 12-year dictatorship. Both the Gestapo and the SS once had their headquarters right here. The Gestapo was the official Nazi secret police service, and the SS, or the Shutzstaffel, was the Nazi agency of terror which among other things was in charge of policing the concentration camps.

Visit the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a free, above ground memorial designed by Jewish architect, Peter Eisenman to remember Jewish people murdered during the Holocaust. Walk through the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, taking a moment to process the history this monument represents and hear about some possible interpretations of this design.

Finish the tour at the Reichstag, the German house of Parliament, originally built in 1893 which has seen Berlin throughout the 20th century. This has, in essence, been dedicated to the German public. Only after Germany was reunited that the decision was made to reinstate Berlin as the capital city of reunified Germany, and to reinstall the parliament into their original home here, the Reichstag.

Begin our tour of the Berlin Wall next to Start our tour of the Berlin Wall on the border between ‘Mitte’, a borough which belonged to the Soviets, and ‘Wedding’, part of the western French Sector. Take a look at a model of the Berlin Wall where we can see a bird’s eye view of how a clash of ideologies between capitalism and communism impacted Berlin physically.

Visit the Memorial to the victims of the Berlin Wall, erected here in the former death strip in memory of those who lost their lives as a result of the division of Berlin. You can see beneath each face is a name and their dates of birth and death. Notice also, how there are some blank windows, representing indirect victims of the wall.

Cross the double-cobblestone brick line and head into into East Berlin, down Ackerstraße. Learn about the realities of communism for people living in East Berlin. Look out into the distance and spot the famous TV Tower and hea about the media and espionage during the Cold War.

Learn about Tunnel 57, 55 Strelitzer Straße and Egon Schultz in this story about a great escape from East Berlin. This story follows a team of engineering students who, between April and October 1964, secretly dug a 145 meter tunnel under the Berlin Wall to help their trapped family and friends escape.



Spot the iconic image of Konrad Schumann jumping over the barbed wire, into West Berlin and hear about how propaganda was used during the Cold War. Learn how loyal people really were to the system when presented with the opportunity to escape it.

Jumping forward to 1985, walk along the wall as you hear about protests, Poland and Mikhail Gorbachev. Take in some iconic photographs here of people rushing through the wall from East to West Berlin in 1989 as we hear about the Reunification of Berlin.

The Vidi Guides experience is enriched with on-screen photos and videos. We also point out where to take the perfect Instagram photos during the tour, and include recommendations for food, drinks, and local attractions. Don't worry, none of our recommendations are sponsored - they are simply favourites of the locals who helped craft the experience.

Vidi Guides creates immersive audio experiences that are like podcasts. This is a self-guided audio tour that can be started or stopped at your own convenience. Download the Vidi Guides app & your tour to explore the area independently and safely! Make sure to download your tour before your visit to streamline your trip!