Berlin - Berlin on Foot: Walking the Wall

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The Berlin Wall is the symbol of a Europe divided for four decades by the uncompromising and unrelenting politics of the Cold War era. The fall of the Wall on 9th November 1989 was one of the twentieth century's defining moments. It represented the triumph of democracy over repression and filled citizens with hope for a new epoch of peace in Europe. As Berlin moves into its second decade since reunification, following the traces of the former East-West border can still be the key to understanding the city's past and present.

Those expecting miles of barbed-wired, graffiti-clad concrete will be disappointed. Only a few fragments of the original Wall have been left standing in several different inner-city locations. Tourists should understand that Berliners were keen to do away with the monstrosity that had divided their city for 28 years, even at the expense of being accused of sweeping their painful past under the carpet.

Let's go from north to south, starting where the Wall breaks away from the River Spree. The river itself was once part of the border and was heavily mined, netted and regularly patrolled by frogmen. Beginning at the former border crossing on Friedrichstraße, the Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears) conjures up memories of tearful goodbyes as Berlin's divided families bode farewell to their loved-ones after an all-too-brief visit. It is now a popular concert venue. Tucked away between the newly renovated Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate, a row of white crosses stands in memory of more than 160 people who were killed while trying to escape over the Wall. Along Ebertstraße, red stripes on the road mark the route of the Wall that many would prefer to forget.

Gazing over the terracotta and glass skyscrapers on Potsdamer Platz, Germany's architectural showpiece boasting exclusive shopping arcades, modern entertainment complexes and a casino, it's hard to imagine that this was a no-man's-land of grey rubble just a few years ago. When the Wall was built in 1961, Potsdamer Platz station became a deserted ghost station and has only recently been modernised and reopened.

On nearby Niederkirchnerstraße at the Topographie des Terrors, an exhibition recounting the history of Nazi crimes, you can see one of the few surviving sections of the Wall - about 150 metres complete with chisel holes and grafitti. If you still want your inch of the 155 km Wall, you're probably best off visiting a souvenir shop on Friedrichstraße, although there are no guarantees for authenticity!

To see the longest and most famous stretch of Wall, you'll need to take the S-Bahn from Potsdamer Platz to Ostbahnhof. Coming out of the station, you'll immediately notice that this part of Berlin has none of the glitz and glamour of the Mitte district. This is real East Berlin. The barren wasteland which surrounds the Wall is oddly fitting and gives you a good idea of how the Wall, surrounded by a 10 metre wide, heavily mined death strip, would have appeared several decades ago. This 1.3 km long stretch of Wall was painted by artists from all over the world in 1990 and has now been turned into an open-air exhibition known as the East Side Gallery.

If you want to learn more about the Wall, you should have a look at the Berlin Wall Memorial in the northern district of Wedding or visit the popular (and more central) Museum at Checkpoint Charlie.







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Palace of Tears


Laughter and tears
 Daumstr. 85
Berlin, Berlin 13599
+49 (0)30 2061 0011
http://www.traenenpalast.de
Palace of Tears
Potsdamer Square


The heart of new Berlin
 Potsdamer Straße
Berlin, Berlin 10785
+49 (0)30 25 0025 (Touristen Information)
http://www.potsdamer-platz.net/
Potsdamer Square
Mitte
Berlin
Mitte
Berliner Mauer Dokumentationszentrum


Berlin Wall memorial
 Bernauer Straße 111
Berlin, Berlin 13355
+49 (0)30 464 1030
http://www.berliner-mauer-dokumentationszentrum.de
Berliner Mauer Dokumentationszentrum
Topographie des Terrors


Former Gestapo headquarters
 Niederkirchnerstrasse 8
Berlin, Berlin 10963
+49 (0)30 2548 6703
http://www.topographie.de
Topographie des Terrors
East Side Gallery


Art on the Berlin Wall
 Oberbaumbrücke
(Mühlenstraße)
Berlin, Berlin 10243
+49 (0)30 251 7159
http://www.eastsidegallery.com
East Side Gallery
Parliament


Germany's old and new parliament
 Platz der Republik 1
Berlin, Berlin 11011
+49 (0)30 2270
http://www.bundestag.de/
Parliament
River Spree


Berlin's main river
 Nikolaikirchplatz
Berlin, Berlin 10178
+49 (0)30 25 0025 (Information für Touristen)
River Spree
Berliner Wall


The Berlin Wall
 Pariser Platz
Mühlenstraße / Niederkirchnerstraße / Bernauer Straße
Berlin, Berlin
+49 (0)30 25 0025 (Touristen Information)
http://www.die-berliner-mauer.de/
Berliner Wall
Branden Gate


The Brandenburg Gate: symbol of freedom
 Am Pariser Platz
Berlin, Berlin 10117
+49 (0)30 25 0025 (Touristen Information)
Branden Gate
Friedrich Street


Three historic kilometers
 Von dem nordlichen Teil der Mitte bis Hallesches Tor im Kreuzberg
Berlin, Berlin 10117/10969
+49 (0)30 25 0025 (Touristen Information)
Friedrich Street
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Berlin - Berlin on Foot: The Eastern City Centre
Berlin - Berlin on Foot: The Western City Centre
Berlin - Berlin by Bus: Sightseeing Tours
Berlin - Berlin by Bike
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