Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Berlin,withafascinatingrecenthistorythatcanbechallengingtoappreciateonyourown,is
an ideal place to explore with a walking tour. The city is a battle zone of extremely compet-
itiveandcreativewalking-tourcompanies.UnlikemanyotherEuropeancountries,Germany
has no regulations controlling who can give city tours. This can make guide quality hit-or-
miss, ranging from brilliant history buffs who've lived in Berlin for years while pursuing
their PhDs,tonewarrivals whomemorize ascript andstart leading toursafter beingintown
for just a couple of weeks. A good Berlin tour guide is equal parts historian and entertainer;
the best tours make the city's dynamic story come to life. While upstart companies abound,
in general you have the best odds of landing a great guide by using one of the more estab-
lished companies I recommend in this section.
Most outfits offer walks that are variations on the same themes: general
introductory
walk,
Third Reich
walk (Hitler and Nazi sites), and day trips to
Potsdam
and the
Sachsen-
hausenConcentrationCampMemorial
.Mosttourscostabout€12-15andlastaboutthree
to four hours (longer for the side-trips to Potsdam and Sachsenhausen); public-transit tickets
and entrances to sights are extra. I've included some basic descriptions for each company,
but for details—including prices and specific schedules—see the various websites or look
for brochures in town (widely available at TIs, hotel reception desks, and many cafés and
shops).
Vive Berlin
This “guiding collective” was formed by some of the city's most experienced guides. They
offer the usual lineup, with an introductory walk (Essential Berlin—Mon, Thu, and Sat at
10:00), plus Third Reich, Cold War, and Sachsenhausen itineraries on other days. All tours
meet at Potsdamer Platz 10, in front of Balzac Coffee (U2/S-Bahn: Potsdamer Platz, use
Stresemannstrasse exit; tel. 0157/845-46696,
www.viveberlintours.de
).
Insider Tour
This well-regarded company runs the full gamut of itineraries: introductory walk (daily),
Third Reich, Cold War, Jewish Berlin, Sachsenhausen, and Potsdam, as well as bike tours,
pub crawls, and a day trip to Dresden. Their tours have two meeting points (some tours con-
vene at both, others at just one—check the schedule): in the West at the McDonald's across
from Bahnhof Zoo, and in the East at AMT Coffee at the Hackescher Markt S-Bahn station
(tel. 030/692-3149,
www.insidertour.com
)
.
Brewer's Berlin Tours
Specializing in longer, more in-depth walks, this company was started by Terry Brewer,
who retired from the British diplomatic service in East Berlin. Today Terry's guides lead
