Wandeltochten

Checkpoint Charlie Self-Guided Audio Walk: Topography of Terror, Berlin Wall and Holocaust Memorial

Walk Berlin's old government quarter from the Holocaust Memorial to Checkpoint Charlie, along the line where the Wall cut through it.
See the field of stelae, the Führerbunker site, the Nazi Air Ministry, the Bundesrat, a 200 m stretch of the Wall at the Topography of Terror and Checkpoint Charlie.
Find out why the Wall on Leipziger Platz was built to look tidy for Western tourists, and who the soldiers on Checkpoint Charlie's light box really were.
Stand at the Peter Fechter memorial, a short walk from the crowds, where a granite slab marks the exact spot.
12 stops over 2.4 km, about 90 minutes, with English audio you start whenever you like.

Self-guided audio tour in English, 12 stops, 1.5 hours
Visit Holocaust Memorial, Führerbunker, Nazi Air Ministry
Visit Topography of Terror, Checkpoint Charlie
GPS map and walking directions in your phone browser, no app needed
Lifetime access, start any day and time

Live guide
Fixed start time
Museum and monument tickets
Food and drinks
Tips and gratuities

Je annuleert deze tickets tot 24 uur voor de belevenis begint en krijgt een volledige terugbetaling.

A few streets south of the Brandenburg Gate ran Prussia's ministries, then the Nazi state, then the Berlin Wall. Since the war the city has made very different choices about what to show here: one site left as a car park, one dug up and opened, one stretch of Wall kept damaged on purpose, and one famous crossing largely rebuilt.
Start at the edge of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, pass the Führerbunker site and the steel profile of Georg Elser, then walk Wilhelmstrasse to Göring's limestone Air Ministry, the Bundesrat and Leipziger Platz. Follow the Wall's line past the old Prussian parliament and the Gropius-Bau to 200 m of original Wall at the Topography of Terror, then Zimmerstrasse, Checkpoint Charlie and the Peter Fechter memorial.
Twelve stops, about 2.4 km and 90 minutes, flat and on public pavements, at your own pace, in English. Museum entry is not included; the Topography of Terror and the Holocaust Memorial's Information Center are free.

What to bring

Ticket code: Enter your ticket code on the Roamer redemption page from your confirmation before you set off.

Phone and data: Bring a charged smartphone; use mobile data or open the tour on Wi-Fi before starting.

Earphones: Use earphones so you can clearly hear the audio while walking outdoors.

What's not allowed

Large bags at stop 1: Do not bring large bags or suitcases into the Holocaust Memorial Information Center.

Additional information

Tour access: The tour opens in your phone browser, so you do not need to download an app.

Best time to start: Start Tuesday to Sunday around 10am for aligned museum opening times and fewer crowds.

Season and terrain: Expect an outdoor walk on pavement that works in any season.

Start location: Stop 1 lies on the south pavement of Hannah-Arendt-Strasse, opposite the south-east corner of the field of stelae.

Start transport: Reach stop 1 from U Anton-Wilhelm-Amo-Strasse, S+U Brandenburger Tor, or S+U Potsdamer Platz in about five minutes on foot.

End location: The walk ends on Zimmerstrasse, about 300 meters from U Kochstrasse/Checkpoint Charlie along Zimmerstrasse and Friedrichstrasse.

Holocaust Memorial hours: The Information Center is free, open Tue–Sun 10:00 to 18:00, and closed on Mondays.

Holocaust Memorial visit time: Allow at least one hour for the Information Center; last entry is 45 minutes before closing.

Topography of Terror hours: The Documentation Center and trench are open daily 10:00 to 20:00, with outdoor grounds open until dusk.

Topography of Terror visit time: Plan an extra hour or two if you want to explore the Topography of Terror in depth.

Martin-Gropius-Bau hours: The venue is closed on Tuesdays and open on other days, mainly from midday to early evening.

House of Representatives tours: Free German tours run on Wednesdays at 11:00 and Fridays at 16:30; bring photo ID and arrive 10 minutes early.

Bundesrat visits: You can visit the Bundesrat only with prior registration.

Asisi panorama: The asisi panorama near Checkpoint Charlie opens daily from 10:00 to 18:00 and typically takes about an hour.

Content warning: This walk covers Nazi crimes and deaths at the Berlin Wall and visits memorials to victims.

Memorial conduct: Walk slowly and quietly at memorials, and do not climb or jump on the stelae.

Crowds and touts: Expect crowds at Checkpoint Charlie and nearby squares, and walk past photo sellers and souvenir touts.

Passport safety: Never let anyone stamp your passport at or near Checkpoint Charlie.

Road crossings: At Checkpoint Charlie, use extra care since crossings are unmarked on Friedrichstrasse and Zimmerstrasse.

Traffic lights: Cross Wilhelmstrasse and Leipziger Strasse only at traffic lights.

Bike path caution: On Stresemannstrasse, keep to the footway, as a bike path runs beside the pavement.

Construction zone: Around the Bundesrat extension expect trucks, hoarding, and possible pavement closures until about 2029.

Detour advice: If passages near Leipziger Platz or Erna-Berger-Strasse are closed, detour via Potsdamer Platz and Stresemannstrasse.

Führerbunker board: Read the information board from the pavement and keep clear of cars entering the private car park.

Air Ministry viewing: Stay on the forecourt and pavement at the Federal Finance Ministry and view the colonnade from outside.

Topography grounds closing: The outdoor grounds close at dusk, but you can view the Wall remnant from the street at any hour.