podtour
Museum Island, the Palace and the Nikolaiviertel
You start at the Neue Wache, in front of the mother sculpted by Käthe Kollwitz.
Bebelplatz, the Gendarmenmarkt and the Press Conference of 9 November: audio walk in Berlin
From Bebelplatz to the Gendarmenmarkt, following the words that changed Berlin: the books burned in 1933, a priest who prayed out loud for the Jews, the toast that, legend has it, named German sparkling wine, a statue of Schiller exiled to the West, the Ninth of 1989 and the sentence read out live that opened the Wall.
What this walk is about
You start at the opera house an impatient king opened before it was finished, and at the cathedral where Bernhard Lichtenberg prayed for the persecuted until he was reported. On Bebelplatz, Erich Kästner watches his books burn, and a line by Heine about the Granada of Cardinal Cisneros keeps watch over an empty library. On the Gendarmenmarkt: the legend of Sekt, the Huguenots' church, E.T.A. Hoffmann's corner, Schiller back from exile, Bernstein's Ninth and 183 coffins on a flight of steps. You finish among the mirrors of Berlin's Jewish fashion trade and in front of the building where, on 9 November 1989, a sheet of paper was read out live.
- Start
- A king in a hurry
- Finish
- Immediately: the announcement of 9 November
- Who it is for
- A walk for anyone curious about Berlin history and the Third Reich and remembrance.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk is mostly level. There are cobbles or uneven surfaces.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
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- 1
A king in a hurry
- 2
The prayer every evening
- 3
What Kästner saw at the book burning
- 4
Heine's words and an empty library
- 5
The legend of the king who asked for sparkling wine
- 6
The church the refugees paid for
- 7
Hoffmann's corner window
- 8
Schiller sent to the West
- 9
Bernstein changes one word
- 10
183 coffins on the steps
- 11
The quarter of mirrors
- 12
Immediately: the announcement of 9 November
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Berlin, before you go
Berlin alternates broad avenues, courtyards and neighbourhoods with lives of their own. Walk each area slowly and use transport between them: several good walks make more sense than one marathon.
More walks nearby
Alexanderplatz and the TV Tower: Legends of East Berlin
You start in front of Marx and Engels, who no longer face the way people say they do, and a Red Town Hall that isn't red because it's communist, and whose chronicle in stone was rebuilt from photographs lent by ordinary Berliners.
Berlin's Jewish Quarter: from Rosenstraße to the New Synagogue
You start in Rosenstraße, where in the winter of 1943 families, mostly women, stood in the street and asked for their husbands and children back.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
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Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.