Tours
These walking tours can be enjoyed by all – even die-hard and established Berliners can be pleasantly surprised. Here listed are a few examples of tours that I offer – but there are plenty more and so many more interesting, exciting & hidden things to discover.
- Historic centre
- LineU7, A Reflection of West Berlin
- Kreuzberg 61 – national monument, inner courtyards, squatters
- Rixdorf’s got music – a bohemian village in the middle of Neukölln
- A large housing estate of the 1920s in Zehlendorf
- Hansaviertel, Interbau 57
- Germania – traces of the Nazi period in Berlin Mitte
The Classic | Duration 2 h | Walk
“Historic Centre”
This tour takes you from the Gendarmenmarkt through Hausvoigteiplatz to the Opera. These squares are not only attractive and steeped in history; they also have exciting stories to tell. In the former armoury you can admire baroque sculptures adjacent to very modern architecture. At end of the tour, you pass by the Schloss (currently being rebuilt) and finish onthe Museuminsel, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage.
Changing trains in an architectural monument? I Duration 2h I mainly by subway
“LINE U7, A REFLECTION OF WEST BERLIN”
The subway, used every day but who would look closer? Along the U7 between “Fehrbelliner Platz” and “Rathaus Spandau” you will encounter pop colour experiences of the 70s, a mezzanine floor with museum character, references to the industrial history of the city but also to buildings from the Renaissance and the Middle Ages. Rainer G. Rümmler tells great stories with his underground architecture and created unique spaces. You will be surprised !
Interesting for Children & Teenagers | Duration 2 h | Walk
“Kreuzberg 61 – national monument, inner courtyards, squatters”
You have a fantastic view over the city from the Kreuzberg and can gain an insight into the history of the 19thcentury war of liberation against Napoleon. Here you can discover the most diverse housing concepts & inner courtyard layouts. The colourful Bergmannstrasse, that is a feast for the eyes, would not be here today had it not been for the squatters of the 70s and 80s.
Historical but also Right Up-to-date | Duration 2 h | Walk
“Rixdorf’s got music – a bohemian village in the middle of Neukölln”
In the 17th and 18thcenturies Berlin saw a large influx of religious refugees from Bohmeia. Today you can still see the old village centre of “Bohemian Rixdorf” in Neukölln. Just steps away from the bustling Karl-Marx-Strasse you can still find the tranquil village life, which is surrounded by the hip urban culture of Neukölln e.g. in the Heimathafen Theatre Complex or the Neukölln Opera. The power substation in the Richardstrasse is a gem of industrial architecture and is currently being transformed from a vacant lot to an exciting cultural hotspot.
An exciting trip into the countryside I Duration 2h I walk
“A LARGE HOUSING ESTATE OF THE 1920s IN ZEHLENDORF”
“LIGHT, AIR and SUN” was the motto of housing projects in the interwar period. Architecture in particular was to be democratic and socially responsible in order to remedy the urgent housing shortage. Bruno Taut, Otto Rudolf Salvisberg and Hugo Häring masterly succeeded in doing so in Zehlendorf. After the renovation of 2013, the housing complex is shining again in its original strong colours, which have earned it the name “Parrot Settlement”.
A Must for Architecture Fans | Duration 2 h | Walk
Hansaviertel, Interbau 57
The Hansaviertel is an example of the will to modernize that was so prevalent in the rebuilding period after the Second World War. Famous architects were able to experiment and show off their ideas. Names such as Gropius, Niemeyer, Alvar Aalto and Arne Jacobsen created buildings from skyscrapers to bungalows that showed a new way of housing.
Always a Fascinating Tour | Duration 2 h | Walk
Germania – traces of the Nazi period in Berlin Mitte
Starting at the Germany Ministry of Finance (the former Reichsluftfahrtministerium), you go past the Mohrenplatz to the location of Hitler’s Chancellery. Then the tour takes you to the spot where the Führerbunker used to be, past the Holocaust Memorial & the offices of Albrecht Speer. Next through the Pariser Platz to the Soviet Memorial in Tiergarten. Many Nazi buildings are no longer standing but this tour gives you an idea of Hitler’s megalomania, which portrays itself in his plans for his world capital “Germania”.
Rates
I charge 80 EUR per hour up to 12 persons, larger groups upon consultation