Discover two authentic nuclear bunkers and their equipment that have stood the test of time. Ticket office: A pavilion at the southern exit of the U8 station Gesundbrunnen, Brunnenstrasse 105. Even though the Berlin Wall is far from being subterranean architecture, escape tunnels - more than 70 played an important role in peoples way into freedom. The nonprofit company offers tours in various languages, including English. The shopping mall Gesundbrunnen-Center right next to the train station has restrooms. This bunker, which was built into the U-Bahn tunnel in 1941/42, was designed to give shelter to roughly 1,300 Berliners during bombing raids: however, sometimes over three times that number found shelter here. Ive watched a Nat Geo documentary about some prisoners digging their way underground to escape from prison. disclosures, audience. Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin (3.1 km). This only proves that determination can really get you to where you want to be. Reservation is not possible and tickets may only be purchased on the day of the tour. Leading Culture and Adventure Travel Blog by Becki Enright. Two of these tours are especially connected to the Cold War period: Tour 3 and Tour M. Tour 3 deals with Subways, Bunkers and the Cold War. It puts into perspective how difficult these escapes were with the Stasi on the lookout right around every corner. One of them, with a capacity of 3,000 people, is still operational. Many attempts were made to escape from East Berlin to the West via man-made tunnels dug deep underground, where everything from reinforcements to lighting and ventilation had to be taken into consideration. Both events displaced a lot of families and put several people in peril; guests really appreciate the opportunity to hear their stories and discover what life was like for some of the citizens of Berlin. This guided tour is only held from April to the end of October so as not to disturb the hibernation of the bats that have settled in the building. Immerse yourself in a vanished world in these moments. Modern and old buildings stand side by side everywhere in the city. This website was developed byCreative Geeks. Its astonishing! New York City They vary depending on the day and time: Unless you suffer from claustrophobia or dont like being underground, these tours will transport you to the end of World War II. permanant exhibition of the berliner unterwelten e.V. This tour gives you an insight into the history of the escape tunnels, and delves into the subject of the subterranean border in the subway and sewer systems, which were used by those trying to flee the east. Posted in: Germany, Misunderstood Destinations | 12 Comments. Tour M deals with the Berlin Wall. All rights reserved. The main season for tours is April October and they run from Monday Friday between 10 AM 4 PM and on Saturday, Sunday and National Holidays between 9 AM and 4 PM. Even if you're not well versed in the history of this city, your tour guide will provide a plethora of information about each location. They prepared a very organized system for taking in and out so many visitors that night! As you trace Berlin's sometimes disturbing history, you'll find out how people might have survived in a worst-case scenario. Some houses bear memorial plaques or bullet holes. authors of Berliner Unterwelten offer a permanent exhibition on "Germania", Hitler's pharaonic reconstruction project of Berlin, as well as other special exhibitions. It's located right next to the U-train station. I even met locals who had said they had wanted to take this tour for the past 10 years to better understand their past. Many thanks to the Berlin Underworlds Association for allowing me the opportunity to attend one of their tours. Like many cities, Berlin has a hidden life under the surface. What Berlin Underground Tours Can You Go On? If you are interested in becoming a local travel partner and would like to find out more then click for more info about our Website Business Opportunity. (The Berlin Underworld Association). Paris Other tours simulate life in a bunker, giving their guests a taste of what life might be like during a nuclear war. She has an intimate relationship with her city of birth and still calls Berlin home. You cannot book a tour in advance, so we recommend you get to the Museum a little early to make sure you get a place in the tour. One of the tours called "Dunkle Welten" or "Dark Worlds" takes place in a former civilian bunker in the Gesundbrunnen U-Bahn station, which the association has rented since 1998. Nashville Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. Looking at the world with a different angle to change perceptions of misunderstood places, for the best in travel. Also, a small selection oftours also run during the winter. This tour focuses on explaining the disasters of a nuclear attack and how to protect the civilian population from this threat. And please, wear sturdy footwear (no sandals, no flip-flops) and take a sweater even in summer, the underworld isverychilly. Where Does the Berlin Underground Tour Begin? Tours are offered by the organization "Berliner Unterwelten e.V. Adults: 6 (US$ 6.10) This website is property of Civitatis Tours SL. There is the permanent exhibition Mythos Germania about Hitlers and Albert Speers (Hitlers favorite architect) plans for urban renewal of Berlin in the Third Reich with a lot of oversized buildings. It's a non profit non government organization which made me like it even more. There are currently four underground Berlin tours available: I decided on Tour M, which at the time was called Breaching the Berlin Wall: Subterranean Escapes from East Berlin to West Berlin and which this article focuses on, with an overview of the main things you get to learn about and what an underground tour encompasses generally. Learn More. By explaining the practical preparations made to help people survive, this tour attempts to make the realities and horrors of such conflict easy to comprehend.

and--in some cases--restore underground structures for public use. A majority of guests who leave positive reviews are most impressed by their tour guides. Afterward, travel via the subway to see what a more modern bunker looks like. Other tours include a West Berlin nuclear bunker and WW2 public air raid shelter. The headquarters of Berliner Unterwelten and the start of the most popular bunker tour is near the transportation hub Gesundbrunnen (with U-Bahn-and S-Bahn station) (map). Its members are researchers, people interested in history and key figures in the history of the Berlin Underworlds. I want them all PLUS general travel tips.

It is a must-see visit if youre in Berlin for a few days. All the tours will exceed your expectations. If you click through or buy something via one of them, I may receive a small commission. Air raid shelter with Berliner Unterwelten. A disastrous mixture of the wrong balance, uneven weight and constant clanging noise. Brunnenstrae 105, Washington DC. Over 14,000 visitors to Berlin have taken a tour from Free Tours by Foot. It was rather eerie, but absolutely fascinating. Although they have since either been demilitarized or blown up, the remaining debris still has a story to tell. Boston A number of other guided tours are only available in German. Kunsthaus Tacheles (2.6 km) They provide expert tours of the citys underground linked to various moments of its history, citing to experience the history of Berlin from an unconventional perspective.. Rectangular panels on pavement and in the grass show the route of an escape tunnel in Berlin. Underneath the cobbled streets, parks, and historic buildings, lie kilometres of tunnels, bunker, subways and communication networks. Berlin's fascinating political history as you've never experienced before. Students: 5 (US$ 5.10). Their focus is on World War II and the Berlin Wall. The determination resulting in the same people risking their lives to dig another tunnel in a different location months later to help others. The Association Berliner Unterwelten (Berlin Underworlds) makes these hidden places, located in the depths of the city, accessible to the public. Anne was born in East Berlin and came of age in the unified city. Such a turbulent surface can only conceal equally turbulent foundations. No problem at all, but putting it back? Initially, the grating was a square shape within the circle of the tunnel meaning there was just enough space to squeeze under through the sewage. The Flak tower tour is not for the faint of heart or feet. learn more on the next page of this article: Next page:

Becki Enright is a British Travel Press Award-winning writer whose work focuses on changing perceptions about misunderstood aspects of destinations. If you exit from the S-train station, it'll be to your left. When the Stasi lost too many men they eventually locked guards on duty in a room with a small window looking out towards the tracks. This shelter was intended to protect citizens in case of nuclear war, and it served multiple purposes. Students: 13 (US$ 13.30), Bunker Tour

Not all bunkers are accessible anymore, for example, The headquarters of Berliner Unterwelten and the start of the most popular bunker tour is near the transportation hub Gesundbrunnen (with U-Bahn-and S-Bahn station) (, Ticket Prices: 11 per person | 9 for students/trainees, Ticket Prices: 14 per person | 11 for students/trainees. The Exhibition, Myth of Germania is 6. We were told about how people cleverly hid among the tracks and side walls ready to jump on passing trains and how the guards on the Eastern side would defect and while on duty, use this route as a means to escape. More than just a list of explanations and figures on excerpts from history, you will relive the stories of those who tamed the underground corridors of Berlin. On the streets of Berlin history is present everywhere. All rights reserved. Add your recommended places to visit by browsing the website and pressing the icon. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States.

Guests are drawn to their tours for a variety of reasons that we will explore in further detail below. Lisbon 15,00, Reduction only for pupils, trainees, students, persons doing voluntary service, severely disabled persons, social welfare recipients, unemployed persons - in each case with appropriate proof. I applaud the conservation effort and highly recommend all of the tours they offer. My Guide Berlin is part of the global My Guide Network of Online & Mobile travel guides. Your email address will not be published. And visitors to Berlin can take a bunker tour to discover this hidden network of tunnels and shelters underground. It's not a fantasy world and it's more than what we learn in History books; you really walk through these corridors and examine what was like. The first tunnel was dug in December 1961 and the last one in 1985, four years before the borders were opened. Im definitely linking here for the Berlin section of my Best Travel Experiences. In the room underground was a manhole cover, the same as the ones you see in the city today and what would have been in use back then. Berliner Unterwelten has been working since 1997 to uncover, and preserve some of these historic underground places for future generations and part of their work is providing tours to these fascinating places. ABOVE: Tour 1 takes you to a bunker in the I also recommend that you check out the abandoned brewery near Schneweide station (which you have to sneak in), and also the Stasi museum.

Just follow the signs forBerliner Unterwelten. Berliner Unterwelten e.V. This has all been curated and set up exclusively. Our guide spoke excellent English and the tour was fascinating. Several reviewers feel that this is a wonderful opportunity to see some of the most significant buildings in Berlin. Berliner Unterwelten Berlin Bunker Tours. It is definitely worth paying a visit. Adults: 18 (US$ 18.40) Whether you are a history fan or simply looking for thrills, you will be fascinated by the anecdotes that run through the various tours. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); get borders of adventure updates by email. This is at no extra cost to you and allows this site to keep running. Train: Gesundbrunnen, lines S1, S2, S25, S41 andS42. Massive constructions, which could accommodate up to 10,000 civilians. Put on your warm clothes and comfortable shoes and we'll take you to explore the depths of the city! And the guy who guided us through was very passionate, you could see that he was tired but still speaking with emotion. During the Cold War, West Germany feared a nuclear war with the Eastern Bloc. In addition to learning about the Third Reich, you'll also have the opportunity to see some of the histories behind city subway and sewer systems. Berliner Unterwelten is a museum that preserves Berlins underground infrastructure. The Berlin Underworlds Association has been offering Berlin tunnel tours for around 15 years, so they know exactly what they are doing when it comes to the important underground structures in the city. I went on the Flaktower tour in English.

My Guide Berlin is part of the global My Guide Network of Online & Mobile travel guides. Some visitors were surprised to find that their guide was actually very funny, making the whole experience even more enjoyable. In addition to the military history tied to the locations featured on these tours, guides will also tell stories about real people who were affected by either WWII or the Cold War. Adults: 15 (US$ 15.30) This tour is an introduction to the underground worlds of Berlin. Some of the equipment inside still works to this day, standing as an example of living history. We went inside a part-destroyed flaktower (look at photos of them from the wartime, they were just incredible), exploring two levels. Berliner Unterwelten offer several modern history themed tours in different languages. "Best of the Web" Make sure to use one before starting the tour. On the floor here and there are stumbling blocks commemorating the victims of National Socialism. Use the back doors of the subway. See the website. The Stasi later installed oval-shaped grating and then used measures to cover the space completely. that is literally hidden beneath the surface of Germany's capital city. The association researches the historical development of the underground. These members research and make the underground bunkers accessible to the public by giving tours in various languages, offering an exhibit as well as through publications. Learn about World War II and the Cold War while you tour the citys subterranean. Photo exhibitions form much of the tour when underground in what is a former civil defence shelter and it brings the stories to life. This post is about Berlin's underground bunkers, air raid shelters built by the Nazi government during World War Two, and how you can tour them. Historic Sites, Points of Interest & Landmarks. No tiket sales on site. 10:00 During this trip, you'll spend about 90 minutes exploring three floors in one of the biggest bunkers in the city. Also tours in other languages. Ask jordansbulls about Berliner Unterwelten, Ask Alexandra W about Berliner Unterwelten, Ask TashaBarbre about Berliner Unterwelten, Ask Cirleoflife about Berliner Unterwelten, Historic tour company, mainly modern history. Then, after a short ride to Pankstrasse station, we offer a glimpse into the workings of a modern bunker, which was intended to protect people in case of a full-blown nuclear war. The Berlin Underworlds Association maintains the complex in its original state, and the various steel doors and ventilation systems give visitors an idea of the intense environment in these narrow, stuffy rooms. Our guide was Spanish but spoke German and English very well and was very enthusiastic about the tour and the historical significance of information he was providing for us. One of the most fascinating parts of the tour was wandering along a huge underground corridor only to emerge from a side door on the wall of the underground station, which most people probably walk past daily and dont give a seconds thought as to what lays beneath. In the Berlin Underworlds you can visit the interior. I just did the underground tour last week, it was pretty cool! The sewage system, gas, water electricity, the subway, pneumatic tubes and in the case of Berlin the air raid shelters and bunkers from World War II. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Thousands were built in the city to provide safety and despite being able to see one, its still unknown how many more exist that have yet to be found.

Top photo: Holger Happel. About prices: See the website. Browse through realistic reconstructions or authentic rooms and places. Dubai The board was installed by Berliner Unterwelten - Berlin Underworlds. Find out which escape tunnels were most successful and discover tales of betrayal that you may not have heard about. To make sure that the desired tour and language is offered during your visit, please check the website of the association: https://berliner-unterwelten.de. Tours in English: all year, every day (except Monday) at 13:00 additionally on Tuesday at 11:00. But what really made this tour great was Dominic who was our tour guide. Two of the permanent underground tours arranged by the association are especially connected to the Cold War period. more, City Sightseeing Berlin Hop-On Hop-Off Bus. It's nice to shortly explain it, because I live in Berlin for 3 years and I didn't know them before. Learn why it is so popular while you admire its archaeological findings from the Middle East and samples of Islamic art.

Sitemap 5