Heroes and Escapes: A Berlin Wall Walking Tour for Kids
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About the Tour
About the Tour
Berlin’s infamous Wall separated families, cut through neighborhoods, and changed countless lives. On this family-friendly walking tour, you’ll hear the dramatic story of the Berlin Wall, partly told through the perspective of young Günter Holzapfel, a 9-year-old boy whose family made a daring zipline escape from East to West Berlin in 1965.
The tour starts at Potsdamer Platz, where you’ll see an original section of the Wall and follow the double line of bricks that marks where the Wall once stood. As you walk, you’ll pass historic buildings where dramatic escape attempts took place, and hear what daily life was like for children and other people growing up in divided Berlin.
I’ll also share stories about tunnels dug beneath the Wall, people hiding in cars, and families using hot air balloons to reach freedom. You’ll explore the “death strip” between the two walls and discover how the Holzapfel family executed their bold escape from a government building. The tour ends at the Axel Springer Building, where the West German publisher deliberately built his headquarters tall enough to beam news headlines into East Berlin.
During this 75-minute tour, you’ll have a chance to:
- See one of the last remaining East German watchtowers, where guards had orders to shoot anyone trying to flee
- Explore Checkpoint Charlie, where American and Soviet soldiers once faced off
- Learn how jokes became a form of resistance in East Germany
- Pay respects at the Peter Fechter Memorial, honoring an 18-year-old who died trying to cross the Wall
- Admire the modern Sony Center with its Mount Fuji-inspired, tent-shaped roof
- View historic photos showing how dramatically Berlin has changed since reunification
Follow the footsteps of those who risked everything for freedom on this engaging tour that brings Berlin’s dramatic Cold War history to life for visitors of all ages.
Please note: This tour is intended for children eight and up, and follows the same route as the adult-appropriate tour, The Berlin Wall: A Walking Tour Along the Former Death Strip, allowing parents and children to listen together. It does, however, touch on themes like death and could upset sensitive children.
Parental guidance is recommended.
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
Jo Eckardt
My name is Jo Eckardt. I studied literature, history, and social work - in Cologne and then in New York where I lived from 1984 to 2001. In 2001 I returned to Germany, settling in Berlin, my favorite city!
A few years later I started my own touring company called A Friend in Berlin (www.afriendinberlin.de). There is so much to see and experience in Berlin: some obvious highlights and landmarks, reminders of Berlin's complicated past, but also lots of surprises such as the many parks and canals, beer gardens, and amazing restaurants at reasonable prices.
When I don't tour the city, I travel in Germany and discover new places. Some of them I have shared with you on different VoiceMap-tours, check out all my tours! I also write books, mostly in German, but some are in English too (under the name Jo Thun).
Preview Location
Preview Location
Location 19
Former Aviation Ministry
Let's look at the building across the street. At the time it was built, in the 1930s, it was the largest office building in the world. It was the Aviation Ministry, so part of the military. Hermann Göring was the boss. But in 1965, when the war was over, ... Read More
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Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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Teil der Berliner Mauer
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Potsdamer Platz
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Lindenbräu am Potsdamer Platz
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Das Center am Potsdamer Platz
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Boulevard der Stars
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Kollhoff Tower
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Historic Traffic Light
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DDR Watch Tower
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Hardenberg-Denkmal
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Abgeordnetenhaus Berlin
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Martin-Gropius-Bau
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Topography of Terror
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Geschichtsmeile Wilhelmstraße
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Checkpoint Charlie
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Peter Fechter - Monument
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The Axel Springer Skyscraper
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Berlin Wall Remains
Getting There
Getting There
Route Overview
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Start locationPotsdamer Platz, 10785 Berlin, Germany
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Total distance2km
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Final locationAxel-Springer-Straße 65, 10969 Berlin, Germany
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Distance back to start location1km
Directions to Starting Point
The tour begins at Potsdam Square. You can get there by subway, S-Bahn or bus. Once on Potsdam Square, look for the Ritz Carlton Hotel, or the tall glass building where the DB, the German Rail, has their headquarters. In between the two is a giant glass cube which is the entrance to the train station underneath. Right next to it you'll find a few pieces of the Berlin Wall. That's where we'll start. Look at the picture to make sure you're in the right spot.
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Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
If you're looking for a snack, the food courts of the Berlin Mall and Sony Center are nearby, as well as lots of cafés and restaurants around Checkpoint Charlie. You can visit several interesting places along the way, thus extending the tour by a couple of hours. Some possibilities: the Panorama Point on top of the Kollhoff building (fee), the Documentation Center of the Topography of Terror and/or its open air exhibition (both are free), the Panorama at Checkpoint Charlie or the Mauer Museum (both charge a fee).
Best time of day
Anytime. Between November and New Year there is a very busy Christmas Market but you'll still be able to find your way in between the various booths and candy stands.
Precautions
As always in Berlin, please be aware of the bicycle-paths! Don't walk there or you'll get yelled at, at best.
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