The filming locations at a glance
| Film or series | Place to see | Nearest stop |
|---|---|---|
| Wings of Desire (1987) | Victory Column (Siegessäule) | Bus 100, Großer Stern stop |
| Run Lola Run (1998) | Oberbaum Bridge | U1, Schlesisches Tor station |
| Good Bye, Lenin! (2003) | Karl-Marx-Allee | U5, Strausberger Platz station |
| The Lives of Others (2006) | Hohenschönhausen Memorial | Tram M5 |
| Bridge of Spies (2015) | Glienicke Bridge, Tempelhofer Feld | S1 or S7 to Wannsee, then bus 316; U6 |
| Babylon Berlin (series, 2017) | Rotes Rathaus, Rathaus Schöneberg | U2, Klosterstraße station; U4, Rathaus Schöneberg station |
Wings of Desire, on the Victory Column
In Wim Wenders's film, two angels watch over Berlin from the top of the Victory Column in the heart of the Tiergarten. The film was also shot in the reading room of the Staatsbibliothek on Potsdamer Straße and near the ruin of the Anhalter Bahnhof. Climb the column for the view over the Tiergarten and the Brandenburg Gate: tickets and opening hours are in the place guide.
Run Lola Run, on the Oberbaum Bridge
In Tom Tykwer's film, Lola runs across the Oberbaum Bridge. The bridge links Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain and can be crossed freely on foot. The elevated U1 line runs over it. A scene was also shot at Schöneberg town hall.
Good Bye, Lenin! on Karl-Marx-Allee
Wolfgang Becker's film (2003) evokes East Germany through a mother who falls into a coma before the fall of the Wall. Several scenes were shot on Karl-Marx-Allee, the great avenue of former East Berlin lined with Stalinist buildings, and in the prefabricated housing estates around Alexanderplatz. For the atmosphere, walk down the avenue between Strausberger Platz and Frankfurter Tor.
The Lives of Others and the Hohenschönhausen Memorial
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's film (2006), about Stasi surveillance, was partly shot in the former Stasi prison, now the Hohenschönhausen Memorial. For more context, visit the Stasi Museum.
Bridge of Spies: Glienicke and Tempelhof
For his 2015 film, Steven Spielberg shot on the real Glienicke Bridge, where the 1962 exchange between Rudolf Abel and Francis Gary Powers took place. An airport arrival scene was shot at the former Tempelhof airport, now the Tempelhofer Feld park, which is free to enter. Checkpoint Charlie is the other emblematic Cold War site in Berlin.
Babylon Berlin and the city of the 1920s
The German series "Babylon Berlin" (since 2017) recreates Berlin at the end of the 1920s. The Rotes Rathaus (city hall), near Alexanderplatz, serves as the exterior of police headquarters; interior scenes were shot at Schöneberg town hall, among other places, and the former Delphi cinema in Weißensee was also used as a location.
The Babelsberg studios, in Potsdam
The Babelsberg studios in Potsdam are among the oldest film studios in the world; Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" was shot there in 1927. You can visit the Filmpark Babelsberg theme park, but prices and opening hours were not checked for this guide: consult the park's website. Combine it with a day in Potsdam.
A route to see the filming locations in one day
- Morning: Karl-Marx-Allee, from Strausberger Platz to Frankfurter Tor.
- Late morning: metro to the Oberbaum Bridge (U1, Schlesisches Tor), then cross it on foot.
- Afternoon: bus 100 or S-Bahn to the Victory Column, then a stroll through the Tiergarten.
- Evening: Rotes Rathaus and Alexanderplatz.
The following weekend, a trip to Potsdam lets you see the Glienicke Bridge and the Babelsberg studios. To extend the theme, discover the city's film festival, the Berlinale, and our ideas for evenings out.
