Photos: Hans Poelzig (1869-1936), Wikimedia Commons, Public domain BWard 1997, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Tobi 87, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo credits
Photos: Hans Poelzig (1869-1936), Wikimedia Commons, Public domain BWard 1997, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Tobi 87, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Checkpoint Charlie and the divided city
Your local guide
Petra Lang
View profile
Highlights
- A crossing point turned world symbol
- An ordinary street, cut in two
- The reconstructed guard hut, explained
- Foreign visitors and a single checkpoint
- Friedrichstraße's Cold War scar
About this tour
This session looks at Checkpoint Charlie and the stretch of Friedrichstraße beyond it. You see the reconstructed guard hut and sign that made this crossing point the best-known symbol of the city's division. The walk continues along the street, tracing where the wall once cut straight across what had been an ordinary shopping street.
We start with a short sound check at the checkpoint itself. I walk slowly along the street and take questions about crossing procedures and daily life on both sides as we go. Afterwards I send a short note on a few specific crossing stories.
This suits anyone interested in Cold War history and the practical reality of a divided city. It also works well before a session at the DDR Museum nearby.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Berlin before heading out.
-
Checkpoint Charlie 21 min
The camera takes in the reconstructed guard hut and sign, and I explain how this single crossing point became the best-known symbol of the city's division for foreign visitors and diplomats.
-
Friedrichstraße border strip 21 min
We walk a short stretch of the street beyond it, and I point out where the actual wall ran, cutting straight across what had been an ordinary shopping street.
-
Your questions 9 min
Time to ask anything about Berlin: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
-
A short list to keep 4 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Berliner (jam doughnut) and Mitte, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Berlin time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 9 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Berlin, showing you Checkpoint Charlie and Friedrichstraße border strip live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Berlin live with my phone.
Times shown in Berlin time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Reviews appear here after travellers have completed this tour.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Mon 26 Oct · 9 seats left From 24,00 €
Book