Berlin Travel & History Guides

The courtyard where the 1944 plot against Hitler ended is still there — quiet, and free to enter. How to visit the Bendlerblock and Plötzensee in Berlin.

A practical, respectful guide to visiting Sachsenhausen Memorial, about 35 km north of Berlin — how to get there, opening hours, how long to allow, and what to know before you go.

Most of the Berlin Wall is long gone — but the pieces that remain each tell part of the story. A local's guide to where to see it today: what to visit first, what to skip, and what's free.

Berlin's most popular free view comes with a catch — you have to register first. How to visit the Reichstag dome: booking through the official Bundestag site, opening hours, and what to do if it's sold out.

One of the easiest day trips from Berlin: Prussian palaces, the 1945 Potsdam Conference, and the Bridge of Spies — plus how to get there and what to book ahead.

Hidden synagogues, moving memorials, living culture, great food. Plan an off-beat Jewish Berlin tour — from Rykestrasse and Weißensee to Stolpersteine, Track 17, and the Jewish Museum.

Explore Berlin’s Jewish heritage with private tours that go beyond typical sights. Visit the Holocaust Memorial, Jewish Museum Berlin, and historic synagogues while learning stories of resilience and culture. Plan your meaningful journey today!

The Berlin Wall, a symbol of the Cold War, stood tall and menacing for nearly three decades, dividing the city of Berlin into East and West.

Explore Jewish Berlin through historic synagogues, museums, Holocaust memorials, and cultural events, reflecting a rich heritage from the 13th century to today’s vibrant community.

Experience Berlin’s history with a private tour from a guide who first visited East and West Berlin in 1981. Gain a unique, first-hand perspective on the city’s Cold War past and its transformation into today’s vibrant, unified capital.

Berlin's Jewish community has faced centuries of persecution, but it has also experienced periods of growth and prosperity. Today, the community is slowly rebuilding itself.

Discover Berlin with The Berlin Expert, a top-rated private guide offering customized tours on Jewish heritage, WWII, the Cold War, and architecture, plus day trips to Potsdam and Sachsenhausen.

This photo is of capturing me from my first visit to Berlin in 1981 with My cousin Vicki, who was stationed with her husband Dan in the US military, likely played a role in my introduction to the city and its history.

In 1944, a German colonel smuggled a bomb into Hitler's headquarters — and nearly succeeded. The story of Stauffenberg and Operation Valkyrie: why it failed, and where to stand in Berlin where it ended.

Berlin’s real estate boom since the 2000s has driven up prices, fueled gentrification in Neukölln and Kreuzberg, and sparked debate over Rene Benko’s controversial Hermannplatz redevelopment.

The New National Gallery in Berlin, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and restored by David Chipperfield, is a modernist masterpiece and home to world-class 20th-century art. Its striking Bauhaus-inspired design stands as a bold contrast to Nazi-era architecture, making it a must-visit cultural landmark in Berlin’s Kulturforum.

Discover Berlin’s beautifully restored Staatsbibliothek on Unter den Linden, a Wilhelmine-era masterpiece reborn after WWII destruction. Explore its striking modern reading hall, historic clock frozen at 22:24, and tranquil courtyard. Learn about its West Berlin counterpart at the Kulturforum, designed by Hans Scharoun, and experience two architectural icons that showcase Berlin’s rich cultural heritage.

The Humboldt Forum, Berlin’s reconstructed palace, blends baroque elegance with modern design. Opened in late 2021, it expands Museum Island with global cultural exhibitions while honoring the city’s complex history — from its 18th-century origins and postwar demolition to its bold 21st-century revival.

No matter how great and insightful virtual tours can be, especially in Berlin: Once old-style travelling will be possible again and Berlin fills up again with travellers from all over the world (by now we are missing them so much), public transportation comes into focus when preparing a private Berlin tour. 

Feel like cruising out of town while in Berlin? Take a boat from Treptower Park down the Spree to Köpenick, a medieval town now part of Berlin. The cruise is not long, but nice, and Köpenick has a quaint old town part plus a little palace on an island.

Bauhaus Villa Lemke, Mies van der Rohe, Berlin. An architectural gem, Villa Lemke from 1932, by Bauhaus master architect Mies van der Rohe.

For the young crowd, Neukoelln is the place to be. But it’s worth a visit apart from hipster venues. One structure strangely hidden though large and tall.