Berlin Wall: what to see today and which route to follow

The Wall in brief

The Wall was not a single barrier: it was a border strip several dozen metres wide, with an inner wall on the East side, a "death strip" lit up at night, watchtowers, and then the main wall facing West Berlin. The whole system completely encircled West Berlin over about 155 km, of which some 43 km ran through the city between the East and West sectors; the rest separated West Berlin from the Brandenburg countryside.

After it opened on 9 November 1989, the Wall was torn down very quickly, almost everywhere. That is why today you look for it in the details of the urban landscape:

• The double row of cobblestones, laid in the roads and pavements of the centre, marks the position of the main wall. Cast-iron plaques bearing the inscription "Berliner Mauer 1961-1989" are set into it at intervals.
• The surviving sections, the longest being the East Side Gallery, the Bernauer Straße memorial and the stretch on Niederkirchnerstraße.
• The Berliner Mauerweg, a 160 km signposted trail that follows the former border around West Berlin, with information panels all along the way.

The one-day route

The route below follows the Wall from the north to the south-east of the centre, roughly covering two stages of the Mauerweg (Nordbahnhof - Potsdamer Platz, then Potsdamer Platz - Warschauer Straße, 7 km each). It alternates walking with two short public transport rides so that it fits into one day, from 10:00 until nightfall.

Times checked in October 2026. Two AB single tickets at €4 each are enough for the two public transport rides; our guide to getting around Berlin covers the other ticket types.

Stop 1: the Bernauer Straße memorial

Start at the Berlin Wall Memorial, the only place where you can still see the border strip as it was, along about 1.4 km of Bernauer Straße. It is also the best starting point for understanding what you will see later elsewhere, in more discreet traces.

The visitor centre (Bernauer Straße 119) and the documentation centre (Bernauer Straße 111), with its observation tower, are open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00; the open-air exhibition is accessible every day from 08:00 to 22:00. Everything is free. Allow two hours for the tower, the exhibition "1961 | 1989. The Berlin Wall" and the outdoor area between Gartenstraße and Brunnenstraße.

Before moving on, go down into Nordbahnhof S-Bahn station: on the mezzanine, on the Gartenstraße side, the free exhibition "Grenz- und Geisterbahnhöfe im geteilten Berlin" tells the story of East Berlin's "ghost stations", which Western trains passed through without stopping. It can be visited during station opening hours.

Stop 2: the Tränenpalast, Friedrichstraße station

From Nordbahnhof, the S-Bahn (S1, S2, S25 or S26) reaches Friedrichstraße in two stops. Friedrichstraße station, in the heart of East Berlin, was the main crossing point by train and underground between the two halves of the city. The glass pavilion built next to the station in 1962 served as the departure hall for travellers leaving East Berlin: the farewells said there earned it the nickname "palace of tears".

The Tränenpalast, Reichstagufer 17, now houses the exhibition "Ort der deutschen Teilung" (site of German division): passport control booths, original objects and travellers' testimonies. Admission is free, Tuesday to Friday from 09:00 to 18:00, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays from 10:00 to 18:00; it is closed on Mondays. The area around the station has plenty of options for a quick lunch.

Stop 3: the white crosses, the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate

Walk west along the Spree via Reichstagufer. Here the river formed the border: the north bank, on the Reichstag side, was in the West, and the border strip ran along the other side. On the riverbank, next to the Reichstag, the white crosses memorial (Weiße Kreuze) records the names and dates of death of people killed trying to cross the Wall. Set up in 1971 by a West Berlin association, it was moved to the water's edge when the government quarter was built.

Then head to the Brandenburg Gate via Ebertstraße. From 1961 to 1989, the gate stood in the restricted zone, inaccessible from both East and West; it reopened on 22 December 1989. On the west side of the gate, look for the double row of cobblestones on the ground: this is the line of the Wall, which you will now follow south.

Stop 4: from Potsdamer Platz to Niederkirchnerstraße

Follow the cobblestones along Ebertstraße, on the edge of the Tiergarten, to Potsdamer Platz. This junction, the busiest in pre-war Berlin, had become wasteland in no man's land. Near the station entrances, several Wall segments and information panels recall that period. The last watchtower of this type still standing, on nearby Erna-Berger-Straße, is however closed and wrapped in protective covering during the neighbouring Bundesrat building works: don't make the detour.

Next, take Stresemannstraße and then Niederkirchnerstraße. Along this street, a stretch of Wall about 200 metres long survives, above the cellars of the former Gestapo headquarters, now part of the Topography of Terror documentation centre. The exhibition is free, open every day from 10:00 to 20:00, if you want to extend this stop.

Stop 5: Checkpoint Charlie

Via Zimmerstraße, where the cobblestones once again mark the line, you reach Checkpoint Charlie, the former Allied border crossing on Friedrichstraße, reserved during the Cold War for Allied military personnel, diplomats and foreigners. The guardhouse and sandbags in the middle of the street are a reconstruction; the open-air exhibition can be viewed freely.

Two paid visits are possible on site, if you have time:

• The Mauermuseum (Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, Friedrichstraße 43-45), a private museum devoted to escapes, open every day from 10:00 to 20:00, €18.50 full price.
• Yadegar Asisi's "Die Mauer" panorama (Friedrichstraße 205), a circular painting of Kreuzberg at the foot of the Wall in the 1980s, viewed from a platform; open every day from 10:00 to 18:00, tickets €5 to €14 depending on the rate, free for children up to 6.

Actors in uniform sometimes pose in front of the guardhouse and ask for money for a photo: you are under no obligation to pay.

Stop 6: the East Side Gallery at sunset

From Kochstraße/Checkpoint Charlie station, take the U6 to Hallesches Tor, then the U1 or U3 to Warschauer Straße, about 25 minutes in total. The East Side Gallery lines Mühlenstraße with 1,316 metres of Wall painted in 1990 by 118 artists from 21 countries, including Dmitri Vrubel's Brezhnev-Honecker kiss. Access is free and open day and night.

Walk it as far as Ostbahnhof, or in the other direction to finish on the Oberbaumbrücke, the former pedestrian crossing point between Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg, at sunset over the Spree. Our guides to Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg list places for dinner on either side of the bridge.

The Mauerweg by bike

By bike, the central route is easier: from Nordbahnhof to Warschauer Straße, the two Mauerweg stages total 14 km, with no climbs, and leave time to stop at each site. The trail is continuously signposted with "Berliner Mauerweg" signs.

The full Mauerweg is 160 km long, divided into 14 stages of varying length, most between 6 and 21 km. Outside the centre, it passes through the forests, lakes and villages of Brandenburg; the stage from Lichtenrade to Lichterfelde Süd, in the south, is known for its scenery. You can take your bike on the S-Bahn and U-Bahn with a bicycle ticket, at €2.70 for zone AB.

More Wall sites, if you have more time

• The Kieler Straße watchtower (Gedenkstätte Günter Litfin, Kieler Straße 2): one of the few surviving watchtowers, beside the canal, in memory of Günter Litfin, the first escapee shot dead at the Wall in August 1961. Free, open Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00 from May to 5 October 2026, as well as on 9 November 2026; not allowed for children under 8 (steep staircase).
• The Mauerpark, on the former border strip at the end of Bernauer Straße: a stretch of the inner wall, covered in graffiti, runs along the park, and the Mauerpark flea market is held there every Sunday.
• The Erinnerungsstätte Notaufnahmelager Marienfelde (Marienfelder Allee 66), in the former reception camp that refugees from the GDR passed through: free exhibition on escaping to the West, closed on Mondays.
• The Hohenschönhausen Memorial, a former Stasi prison, visited with former inmates or guides, for the repressive side of the regime.
• The DDR Museum, on the banks of the Spree opposite the cathedral, for everyday life in the East.
• The Glienicke Bridge, between Berlin-Wannsee and Potsdam, where the two blocs exchanged their spies: combine it with Sanssouci Palace.

Summary of sites

Prices and opening hours checked in October 2026.

Practical tips

• Which day to go: avoid Mondays, when the Tränenpalast and the Bernauer Straße centres are closed (the open-air exhibition stays open). On Saturdays and Sundays, the Mauerpark and its market add a lively stop in the late morning.
• Anniversaries: on 13 August, the anniversary of the Wall's construction, and on 9 November, the anniversary of its opening, commemorations are held at the Bernauer Straße memorial. On 9 November 2026, the Kieler Straße watchtower also opens as an exception.
• Guided tours: the Berlin Wall Foundation (Stiftung Berliner Mauer) offers public tours at the Bernauer Straße memorial, from €5 (€3 reduced), on dates published in its calendar.
• Footwear: the walking route, including public transport rides, adds up to around ten kilometres on foot.

Further reading

This route crosses the historic district of Mitte, which our guide covers in detail, from Unter den Linden to the Hackesche Höfe. Almost every stop is free: our selection of free things to do in Berlin suggests more. And to fit this day into a longer stay, follow our Berlin in 3 days itinerary.