Berlin Walking Tour: From the Reichstag to the Hackesche Höfe
A self-guided Berlin walk from the Reichstag through the Brandenburg Gate, past the Holocaust memorial and Gendarmenmarkt to Museum Island and the Hackesche Höfe.
- 7 stops and 14 minutes of stories, told as you reach each place
- The intro and stop 1 are free in the app: try before you buy
- Download before you go; the audio plays without signal (the street map needs a connection)
- Walking with friends? Pick 1 to 10 seats; everyone hears each stop on their own phone, at the same moment
30 seconds of the real narration
Plays in the free Walk With Me app on iPhone and Android.
What you'll see
About this tour
Berlin's history is written into its streets in a way you only notice on foot: a line of cobblestones where the Wall stood, a pane of glass in a square, a gateway that leads from a busy street into a tiled courtyard. The distances between these places are short, but the stories change completely from one to the next, and walking gives you time to take each one in before the next arrives. It also lets you feel how the city has rebuilt itself, mixing the old Prussian grandeur with glass, concrete and a lot of life. Go slowly, sit in a square or two, and let the heavy moments and the light ones balance each other out. If you would like to share your next walk, open the Walk With Me live map to find other people out walking Berlin.
The route
3.9 km in walking order from Reichstag Building to Hackesche Höfe. Stop 1 is free in the app.
- 1Reichstag BuildingThe parliament under the words To the German People, and the many lives of one building, from fire to fabric to glass dome.Free in the app
- 2Brandenburg GateThe gate at the head of Unter den Linden, a chariot that once went to Paris, and the cobbles tracing a vanished border.
- 3Memorial to the Murdered Jews of EuropeA field of 2,711 concrete slabs on sloping ground, what happens as you walk into it, and the names kept underneath.
- 4GendarmenmarktA square between twin domed churches and a Schinkel concert hall, the Huguenots behind one church, and what the towers really are.
- 5BebelplatzA square from Frederick the Great's time, beside the opera and the university, and a small window set into the cobbles.
- 6Berlin CathedralThe Hohenzollerns' domed church on Museum Island, its royal crypt and dome walkway, with the old royal garden and the island's museums close by.€10 to go in, optional
- 7Hackesche HöfeEight linked courtyards off Rosenthaler Strasse, the first lined with glazed tiles, and a brush maker's workshop next door with a wartime story.
What costs extra
1 stop has a ticket to go inside. The story plays outside, so going in is your choice.
| Stop | Inside | Ticket from |
|---|---|---|
| 6. Berlin Cathedral | Optional | €10 |
Before you go
- Allow about two hours at an unhurried pace, more if you climb up into the Reichstag dome or the cathedral, or go down into the memorial's information center.
- Berlin is flat, and the route is entirely on paved streets and squares, though the cobbles around the older squares can be uneven.
- The city's sights are spread out and its streets are wide, so there is not much shade between them, and in summer a hat and water make a difference.
- In winter, the wind across the open spaces around the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate is bitter, so dress warmly.
- The Reichstag dome is free to visit but needs advance online registration, often several days ahead, so check before you go if you want to go up.
Questions
How long does it really take?
55 min of walking plus 14 minutes of stories, so plan for about 1 h 09 with stops.
Can I go up the Reichstag dome?
Yes, for free, but you need to register online in advance, often several days ahead. The story at this stop plays on the lawn in front, so the walk works without it.
Do I need a ticket for the cathedral?
Only to go inside: the story plays outside. The ticket is optional, from €10, and inside you can climb to the walkway around the dome.
Can I go below the Holocaust memorial?
Yes. The information center under its eastern side is free to enter, and it tells the stories of individual people and families. Check its opening times first.
Toilets and water
6 toilets near the route, 3 free3 drinking fountains
Cheaper in a bundle
Photos: HerrAdams / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Oleksandr Petroniuk / Pexels.