podtour
The Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate and the Memorial
You start in front of the Reichstag, where bronze letters cast from cannon waited twenty-two years, made by a Jewish family firm that the Nazi regime later robbed and decimated.
From Wilhelmstrasse to Checkpoint Charlie: from Nazi power to the Wall: audio walk in Berlin
One kilometre of Berlin for two dictatorships and a cold war: Göring's ministry and the officer who organised resistance inside it, the hall where Ulbricht swore nobody would build a wall, the Gestapo headquarters, a family who escaped on a cable from the roof, the tanks at Checkpoint Charlie, and Peter Fechter.
What this walk is about
You begin in front of the ministry Göring had built for himself, with more than two thousand offices, where one officer led a circle of resistance. The same building saw the birth of East Germany, faced the workers of 1953 and heard Ulbricht deny there would be a wall two months before he built it; when the Wall fell, it housed the agency that privatised the East's economy, whose president was murdered, and it very nearly came down. Across the road stood the Gestapo's cellars and the office that organised the deportations; later, a forgotten wasteland with a driving track, and the Wall. From the ministry's roof, a family fled with a hammer and a cable. You follow the line of the Wall to Checkpoint Charlie, where a night at the theatre ended with Soviet and American tanks face to face, and you finish where Peter Fechter died, in full view of everyone.
- Start
- The ministry built to intimidate
- Finish
- Peter Fechter's fifty minutes
- Who it is for
- A walk for anyone curious about Third Reich and the Wall and the Cold War.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk is mostly level.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
The ministry built to intimidate
- 2
A new state and a mural over the soldiers
- 3
June 1953: a minister on a table
- 4
The promise that nobody would build a wall
- 5
Should a building like this be demolished?
- 6
The Gestapo headquarters and the deportation office
- 7
A racing circuit over the ruins
- 8
The Holzapfel family's hammer over the Wall
- 9
The street that was entirely in the East
- 10
Checkpoint Charlie and a diplomat's theatre trip
- 11
Sixteen hours with tanks facing tanks
- 12
The original checkpoint and the replica
- 13
Peter Fechter's fifty minutes
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
Bebelplatz, the Gendarmenmarkt and the Press Conference of 9 November
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.
Museum Island, the Palace and the Nikolaiviertel
You start at the Neue Wache, in front of the mother sculpted by Käthe Kollwitz.
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.
Podtour manages your launch request with your consent. You can withdraw it and exercise your rights as explained in our privacy policy. Privacy details.
One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.