The Berliner Unterwelten association (Berlin Underworlds Association) runs tours of the air-raid shelters, bunkers and tunnels hidden beneath Berlin. Most tours start from Gesundbrunnen station, north of the centre, where the association has its info and book shop at Brunnenstraße 105 (13355 Berlin). Each guided tour lasts about 90 minutes and costs €18; tickets are sold online only, up to 30 days in advance. The tours cover two periods: the Second World War, with civil defence shelters and the flak tower in Humboldthain park, and the Cold War, with nuclear shelters and the tunnels dug under the Wall to escape from East Berlin. Guides also present Berlin's civilian underground: pneumatic post, breweries, the U-Bahn and the sewers.
Highlights
"Dunkle Welten" (Dark Worlds)
The association's original tour: behind a door in Gesundbrunnen U-Bahn station lies a Second World War air-raid shelter. It escaped Allied demolition after 1945 because blowing it up would have endangered the U-Bahn tunnel, and the association rediscovered it in 1998. Its rooms house the association's museum, covering the air war, civil defence and objects found beneath the former government quarter.
The Humboldthain flak tower
In 1940, Hitler ordered the construction of anti-aircraft towers to defend Berlin. The one in Humboldthain park was only partly destroyed after the war. The "Vom Flakturm zum Trümmerberg" tour (From Flak Towers to Mountains of Debris) covers three of its seven floors, with dizzying views down into the structure. It only runs from April to the end of October, so as not to disturb the bats hibernating inside; minimum age 18, helmet provided and compulsory.
"Unterirdisch in die Freiheit" (Under the Berlin Wall)
This tour tells the story of the tunnels Berliners dug under the Wall to reach the West, with period photos, exhibits and full-size tunnel replicas. It starts at Brunnenstraße 141 (10115 Berlin), near U Bernauer Straße station and the [Berlin Wall Memorial](/fr/attractions/memorial-du-mur-de-berlin).
The other tours
"U-Bahn, Bunker, Kalter Krieg" (Subways, Bunkers, Cold War) visits Cold War shelters beneath Blochplatz (meeting point at the corner of Badstraße and Böttgerstraße). The "Atombunker Pankstraße" tour shows a nuclear shelter; the "Fichtebunker", Fichtestraße 6 in Kreuzberg (U Südstern), is a gasometer from 1883-1884 converted into a shelter in 1940. There are also the AEG tunnel and the Dresdener Straße tunnel and bunker (age 14 and over).
The "Mythos Germania" exhibition
In an underground hall at Gesundbrunnen station (corner of Badstraße and Behmstraße), this permanent exhibition presents Hitler's urban plans for Berlin and the crimes linked to carrying them out, including forced labour. Open on Saturdays from 11:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:00); €6, concessions €5, €3 with a tour ticket; cash only on site.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Buy your tickets in the association's online shop: there are no sales at the meeting point, and tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded unless the association cancels the tour. The dates of each tour, including English-language tours, are listed there. The reduced rate (€13) applies in particular to school pupils and students with proof of status; the Berlin WelcomeCard is not valid for tours. Photography and filming are not allowed during tours. Prices checked in October 2026.
How to get there
Info shop and meeting point for "Dunkle Welten": Brunnenstraße 105, 13355 Berlin (southern entrance of Gesundbrunnen station). S-Bahn and U8 Gesundbrunnen, bus 247. Meeting points for the other tours vary: check your ticket. The [Mauerpark flea market](/fr/attractions/marche-aux-puces-mauerpark) lies south of Gesundbrunnen, towards Prenzlauer Berg. Children under 7 are not admitted, and the association recommends the tours from age 14. Sturdy closed shoes are compulsory; only small bags are allowed. No toilets on site and no wheelchair access (except at the Teichstraße surgical bunker).
Opening hours
Nearby
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