Walking tours
Berlin highlights
From the city's founding years in the early twelve hundreds, all the way to the current chapter in history, this tour covers all the must-see for every first time visitor to Berlin. On our walk I will show you and reveal the stories behind the Museum Island, Humboldt University, Gendarmen Markt, Checkpoint Charlie, the Holocaust Memorial, Brandenburg Gate and other sites.
Jewish heritage - between history and commemoration
The story of the Jewish heritage of Berlin is long and entailed with many twists and turns, some tragic, while others are romantic and surprising. This tour covers more than 300 years of history, as well as commemoration and preservation of people and their heritage today. And if you're interested I will be happy to share an anecdote or two of my family's history in Berlin of the Weimar Republic, and my experiences in our times.
Potsdam - the beautiful capital of Brandenburg
The natural beauty of Potsdam attracted Prussian electors and kings for hundreds of years. Today, it has the added value of palaces and gardens, unharmed by the wars of the 20th Century. It is not rare to feel like one steps into a painting when visiting the gardens of Sanccouci or the gardens of the Palace of Cecilienhof. On the tour you will also hear about the fascinating role Potsdam played in the Cold War.
Third Reich - Germany's difficult heritage
Through the tale of the rise and fall of the National Socialist regime, prior to and during the Second World War, I will analyse the social and political processes that enabled some of worst horrors in human history. In visiting sites such as Hitler's bunker, the German Resistance Museum, the Memorial Church for the Kaiser Wilhelm and others, you will also hear about the challenges of remembering and telling of this heritage in Germany today.
Berlin in the Cold War
To many people, the divided Berlin was the epicentre of the Cold War. In this tour we will visit such sites as Rathaus Schöneberg, where President Kennedy gave his famous speech in 1963, explore the official memorial site for the Berlin Wall, and visit Böse Brücke where the gates of the Wall first opened on the fateful night of the 9th of November, 1989.
The Memorial Site and Museum Sachsenhausen
Once the largest concentration camp close to Berlin, and the inspectorate of all other concentration camps under the control of the SS, Sachsenhausen today is an emotionally difficult but an important site to visit.
In this tour we will tell the story of the camp and its prisoners, as well as discuss the psychology of the perpetrators. Furthermore, in this tour I will also discuss and analyse our visitation to a so-called dark tourism site, and our interpretation of crimes and atrocities that took place in the camp.
Flexibility - tailor made tours
I believe each person is different and every group is unique. That is why the tours are private, made to suit the needs and interests you have. In practice, this means that - with reason - I will tailor the sites we will visit in each tour with the start and end points of your choice and your time requirements. And of course, visit as many relevant sites without
running or stressing too quickly 'tick boxes'.
Please write me to find out availability and prices. The price includes guiding fees, admin fees, insurance and VAT
Price does not include public transport tickets
Combination of walking and using public transport
A favourite pass time in Berlin is to complain about the local public transport system. The reality, however, is that most of the time it is a fantastically functioning infrastructure, making it easy to cross the city from site to site in a matter of minutes. Therefore, most of the tours require a daily ticket of AB zones, with the exception of the Potsdam and Sachsenhausen tours, both require ABC (daily or added extension if you already have an AB ticket).