Let me begin your tour through the Cold War history of Berlin here and now. Explore the leftover of the bitter divided city and get some knowledge about the political and ideological divide of an era. In this post, we’ll provide you with Cold War tour, leading you to the most significant sites and giving you the history behind each of them.

1. The Berlin Wall Memorial

The Berlin Wall Memorial is a great place that anyone interested in Cold War should visit. In this outdoor Museum one can even ‘stroll’ part of the original dividing line on the Berlin wall. It is possible to visit watchtowers, allow yourself to be guided in the documentation center, and listen to the memories of those people who had contact with the wall.

2. Checkpoint Charlie

Checkpoint Charlie was one of the well known division between eastern and western Berlin during the time of cold war. There military martial performed the role of passport check point and directed people traffic between both sides. Now one can visit the check point and find out the replica of the guardhouse, also the panels illustrating some of the escape attempts and historical information.

3. The Stasi Museum

Prepared Experience tourist’s Stasi Museum stretching a view into the secret police of East Germany. This ex-office building illustrates the scale of the spying carried out by the Stasi on the people. One can walk through the actual offices, get acquainted with the instruments of espionage established in the course of the project, and read about the repression methods used throughout this period.

4. East Side Gallery

The East Side Gallery is a living, breathing status of freedom and art. They are the longest existing stretch of the wall and it has been converted to become an open art gallery. International artists have painted the wall with colorful artworks addressing several aspects of cold war and geopolitics.

5. Teufelsberg Listening Station

The Teufelsberg Listening Station provides a less traditional view of Cold War history. Situated on artificial hill, the station was operated by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) for listening nonaligned Soviet and East German communications. Today it is rather popular among tourists as an element of the sanitary and isolation area and their planes are opened for visitors where one can see the breathtaking view on Berlin and also get to know with intelligence activities.

6. DDR Museum

At DDR Museum the visitors are allowed to touch things representing the life in East Germany. There are opportunities to enter everyday lives, the omnipresent political production, and the social conditions of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Just as with the recreated East German apartment or when you are questioning the devices of surveillance, you’ll understand everything.

7. Memorial of the Federal Republic Berlin-Hohenschönhausen

The Berlin- Hohenschönhausen Memorial is a museum which used to be a prison of the Stasi. Historical and thematic coach and walking tours, accompanied by the guides who were once prisoners at the SIZO temporary detention facilities, gives the audience a taste of the life under the regime. This visit gives a rightful understanding of the tough time people went through during the Cold War period.

8. Allied Museum

The Allied Museum is dedicated on influence of the Western Allies in the Cold War period. They can drove military trucks, planes, and tanks, and find out more about the Berlin Airlift there. The museum also contains papers, photos and narratives that provided historical information about the period after World War II was complete.

9. Berliner Unterwelten

For those who decided to discover the underground of Berlin, Berliner Unterwelten is the right place to go. Although they do not explicitly focus on the Cold War they do have thematic tours which cover the Bunker and Tunnels of Cold War era. Witness the nuclear shelter and unveiling of architectural marvels of the city.

10. Cold War Walking Tours

Finally, if you want to explore Cold War history in Berlin consider enrolling in a Cold War theme walking tour. Usually, these guided tours provide essential background and additional information to these travel destinations. As a result, if you opt for a general tour or for the one that is more intimate and covers only certain aspects of the Cold War, the walking tours prove informative and offer a possibility to ask the guide something in the process of the tour.

Conclusion

Starting this Cold War tour in Berlin is a great way to take a glimpse into one of the most important decades of the twentieth century. Visiting the above mentioned sites will help you get a richer understanding of the political phenomena, social and human aspects of the Cold War. Berlin offers vibrant history as you tour and think about this city that was once divided.

Aware of the opening hours and order any needed tickets in advance to make the most of your Cold War tour in Berlin. Enjoy your explorations!