podtour
From Wilhelmstrasse to Checkpoint Charlie: from Nazi power to the Wall
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 Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate and the Memorial: audio walk in Berlin
Berlin's postcard view, told from the inside: the dedication that took twenty-two years, the fire of 1933, the famous flag photo that was retouched, the Parliament wrapped in fabric, the goddess Napoleon carried off, the night people climbed onto the Wall, and what the stelae of the Memorial do — and don't — say.
See the walkFree route
What this walk is about
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. You'll see where democracy went up in flames in 1933, what was erased from the most famous photograph of 1945, and how an artist persuaded Parliament to wrap itself in fabric. On the edge of the Tiergarten, a pool remembers the Sinti and Roma. At the Brandenburg Gate, a painter watches a parade from his window, Napoleon carries off the chariot and, one November night, thousands of people climb onto the Wall. You finish at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and in an ordinary car park that Berlin deliberately left without a monument.
- Start
- Twenty-two years without a dedication
- Finish
- An ordinary-looking car park
- Who it is for
- A good starting point for your first visit. A walk for anyone curious about twentieth-century history.
- 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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Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
Twenty-two years without a dedication
- 2
Van der Lubbe and the Reichstag fire
- 3
A flower every day at noon
- 4
One wristwatch too many
- 5
The wrapped parliament
- 6
Torches beneath the window
- 7
The Quadriga taken away
- 8
The gate nobody could cross
- 9
The night of 9 November
- 10
What the memorial's stelae say
- 11
An ordinary-looking car park
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.
The Wall on Bernauer Straße: the street split in two
On Bernauer Straße, the houses belonged to the East and the pavement to the West.
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.