Berlin's History on Foot: From Unter den Linden to the East Side Gallery

This tour takes you through key chapters of German history in a single day, at the very places where they unfolded. Instead of ticking off the familiar postcard sights, it focuses on museums and memorials that explain connections and reveal the background.

You start at the German Historical Museum on the boulevard Unter den Linden, which gives you a chronological overview. After lunch at Gendarmenmarkt, the exhibition in the German Cathedral (Deutscher Dom) tells the story of how parliamentary democracy developed in Germany. From there you walk along Friedrichstrasse, past the former border crossing Checkpoint Charlie, to the Topography of Terror. On the grounds of the former Gestapo and SS headquarters, the persecution policies of the Nazi state are documented. At the Bendlerblock you then learn who stood up against the regime and what price they paid for it. To finish, you take the S-Bahn to Friedrichshain and the East Side Gallery, where the division of the city becomes tangible along a long, preserved stretch of the Wall.

The tour suits you if you're visiting Berlin for the first time and want to understand the city through its history, or if you already know the major sights and want to dig deeper. Most of the distances can be covered on foot; only the last leg is by bus and train. Allow plenty of time for reading and reflection.