Berlin: Then and Now Walking Tour with Archive Photos
- 2h 30m
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
St. Mary's Church stands in a large open space near Alexanderplatz. Archive photos show a different scene: houses and narrow streets pressed around the church. On this walk, I use photographs of the places along the route to help you see the Berlin that disappeared. I'm Yusuf, your guide. We start at the World Clock on Alexanderplatz and walk through the historic centre of former East Berlin. Along the way, I hold up archive prints so you can compare the old views with what stands in front of you: the missing streets around St. Mary's Church, the Neptune Fountain that once stood before the royal palace, the palace site at the Humboldt Forum and the war damage and rebuilding on Museum Island. My advice: hold your phone beside my print and photograph the comparison. The walk takes about 2.5 hours and covers about 3 km, with no more than 10 guests. It ends at Hackescher Markt, close to food and public transport.
Inclusions
What's included
- Guided walk with a local guide
- Archive photograph comparisons along the route
What's not
- Admission to museums, the TV Tower and other attractions (we view them from outside)
- Food and drinks
- Public transport tickets
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Itinerary
We meet at the World Clock on Alexanderplatz. I introduce the walk and show you how this square looked before it was rebuilt as the centre of East Berlin.
We look up at the TV Tower and talk about why East Berlin built it here in the 1960s. We stay outside for 10 minutes; going up the tower is not included.
At Berlin's red city hall and the Neptune Fountain, I show you how the fountain once stood in front of the royal palace before it was moved here.
Right beside the city hall. An archive photo shows the fountain in its first place, in front of the royal palace.
St. Mary's Church now stands in a wide open space. Archive photos show the houses and narrow streets that once surrounded it.
At the Marx and Engels statues we talk about GDR memory and the old streets that disappeared from this area.
We pass the Sanchi Gate replica beside the building, then compare the palace site with the Palast der Republik and today's rebuilt facade. We take a 10-minute break here.
We cross the Lustgarten, the garden between Berlin Cathedral and the Altes Museum.
From the Lustgarten we look at Berlin Cathedral and the Altes Museum beside the Spree. We stay outside for 20 minutes; admission is not included.
We look at the Altes Museum's colonnade from the Lustgarten; admission is not included.
On Museum Island we look at the Neues Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Pergamon Museum from outside for 20 minutes. Archive photos help explain the war damage and the restoration behind what you see today. Museum admission is not included.
Seen from outside; admission is not included.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Meet me beside the World Clock (Weltzeituhr) on Alexanderplatz at 12:25, five minutes before the 12:30 start. Look for my green umbrella.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 10 travellers
- Operated by
- Walk of Berlin
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Berlin
- Its from-price is 77% below the median of the 961 experiences we list in Berlin.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Berlin
Berlin is Germany's creative, open-minded capital, where landmarks of a turbulent history stand among art, green parks and legendary nightlife.
The Brandenburg Gate is the city's symbol, close to the glass-domed Reichstag and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Fragments of the Berlin Wall survive, most strikingly at the East Side Gallery, a long stretch covered in murals, and at the Bernauer Strasse memorial, while Checkpoint Charlie marks the most famous former crossing point.
Top-ranked sights in Berlin: Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor), Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Memorial), Checkpoint Charlie.
Special offers in Berlin
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
