Memories of the Berlin Wall: from the East Side Gallery to Potsdamer Platz

In the description below, the names of the routes and main sites are written in German – that is, as they appear on the ground – and in italics. The letter ß, which is specific to the German alphabet, is pronounced like a double ‘s’ in French. See the section on place names under ‘Practical information’.

Starting point: Warschauer Straße Station.

Access:
- S-Bahn – Lines 5, 7 and 75.
- U-Bahn – Line 1.
- Tram – Lines M1 and 12.

Along this route, particularly from point (3) onwards, you’ll find small ‘Berliner Mauerweg’ signs beneath the street name signs.

(S) On leaving the station (either the S-Bahn or U-Bahn station), turn left and walk down Warschauer Straße on the left-hand pavement. Roughly level with the U-Bahn station, cross the road at the traffic lights and continue down the right-hand pavement. At the bottom of the slope, cross Mühlenstraße and you’ll find the former Wall on your right (before continuing the route, do feel free to walk a few metres back and forth to enjoy the view of the Oberbaumbrücke).

(1) Then turn right and follow Mühlenstraße, keeping the old wall on your left. Right at the start and then again after about 500 metres, it is possible to cross to the other side of the wall, towards the bank of the River Spree, but these are dead ends (furthermore, only the section of the wall facing the street is painted). After passing a tall white block of flats on the left (No. 60), cross over to the river side and walk along the wall (painted here) on your right (it is also possible to continue on the street side). After about 250 metres, you’ll find a passageway leading back to the street on the right (the wall ends here).

(2) Continue west-north-west along Mühlenstraße, keeping the Energieforum Berlin (a large brick building) on your left.

(3) At the next junction (traffic lights), turn left and take the Schillingbrücke to cross the Spree. Stay on the left-hand pavement and, when the road splits into two branches, take the left-hand one, Benthaniendamm. Cross Köpenickerstraße and continue along Benthaniendamm, which curves to the right, running alongside a public garden below on the right and passing a church on the left. Cross Adalbertstraße and reach a T-junction.

Then turn left onto Leuschnerdamm to go round a pond surrounded by a garden situated below on the right. At the next junction, turn right onto the Waldemarbrücke, which spans the garden, and continue straight on into Waldemarstraße. At the next fork in the road, turn left onto Luckauerstraße, passing Alfred-Döblin Platz on your left (information sign).

(4) At the next junction, turn right onto Sebastianstraße (information sign on the right-hand pavement). Cross Prinzenstraße and continue along Sebastianstraße, which curves to the right and becomes a pedestrianised street (map on the left-hand side). Walk between the buildings (which used to be separated by a wall!) and, when you reach No. 21A on the right-hand side, turn left and follow Alexandrinenstraße. At the next junction, turn right into Stallschreiberstraße (a cobbled alleyway starting at the foot of a building, No. 49).

(5) At the end, turn left onto Alte Jacobstraße, then immediately right onto Kommandantenstraße. Ignore a street on the right and, at the end of Kommandantenstraße, turn left onto Axel-Springer-Straße (a wide avenue). Then take the second street on the right, Zimmerstraße, which starts at the foot of a sculpture incorporating remnants of the Wall, next to a glass-fronted building on the left-hand side. Continue straight on along Zimmerstraße, crossing several perpendicular streets, until you reach Checkpoint Charlie at the junction with Friedrichstraße (there are numerous information signs).

(6) Continue straight on, still on Zimmerstraße, and cross Wilhelmstraße.

(7) First turn left then right to enter the esplanade of the Topography of Terror. Walk through this open-air memorial situated on the ruins of the former Gestapo headquarters (information boards). Exit on the opposite side, first turn right then left and follow Niederkirchenerstraße, with the Martin Gropius Bau on your left and the former Prussian Parliament on your right (information sign). At the end of the street, turn right onto Stresemannstraße. Follow this avenue to its end at Potsdamer Platz(E).

To get back home:
- S-Bahn – Lines 1, 2 and 25.
- U-Bahn – Line 2.

Place names:
- The word most commonly used to refer to a road in a town is Straße (street), regardless of its length or width. This word is most often combined with the name of the street, as in Friedrichstraße. It may also appear separately, with hyphens, as in Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße, or without, as in Spandauer Straße.
- Other terms to help you find your way around: Allee (avenue), Damm (quay), Gasse (alley), Weg (path), Platz (square), Markt (marketplace), Brücke (bridge), Bahnhof (station), Station (station).
- Buildings: Kirche (church), Dom or Kathedrale (cathedral), Synagoge (synagogue), Moschee (mosque), Museum (museum), Schloß (castle), Haus (house).

Public transport:
Public transport is very well developed and proves very convenient when visiting Berlin (and no doubt when living there too). There are four types of public transport:
- S-Bahn (commuter train)
- U-Bahn (underground)
- Straßenbahn (tram, found only in the former East Berlin)
- Bus (bus)
Tickets are valid on any of these modes of transport and must be validated. Tickets can be purchased on the spot from ticket machines. Tickets valid for 1, 2 or 3 days can also be bought on the spot, or online and printed at home. For full details, see the City of Berlin’s website.

Traffic:
- Given the layout and urban planning of the city, although car traffic can be heavy in places, it rarely feels as congested as in a major French city.
- Berliners strictly observe green and red pedestrian lights and do not take kindly to anyone failing to do the same… However, there are many junctions without traffic lights or pedestrian crossings.
- Pavements are sometimes shared between pedestrian and cycle lanes, although this is not always clearly marked.

Equipment:
- Opt for low-cut trainers or walking shoes rather than smart shoes.
- From November to March, it is generally cold in Berlin; it can get extremely cold. During this period, don’t skimp on warm clothing.

Times, resources and alternatives:
- The times given are walking times, not taking into account the many stops and numerous places of interest you may wish to visit. Depending on the number of these stops and their duration, the time required for this walk can vary from a few hours to a full day.
- The route alternates between busy areas and quieter sections. Given the nature of Berlin’s urban layout, there is plenty of space even in the busiest areas.
- In churches, appropriate attire and behaviour are required (see the signs at the entrance). Do not visit churches during services.
- Along the way, there are bars and restaurants where you can have a drink or a bite to eat. The toilets in these establishments are reserved exclusively for customers. There are also a few public pay-to-use toilets.
- The route naturally lends itself to various alternatives, depending on the sites you wish to visit or your own preferences, provided you have a detailed map (see below).

Maps:
It is essential to carry a detailed map showing the street names in German (at the very least, the one accompanying this description). City maps can be purchased locally at the main tourist attractions. It is also possible to obtain them in France from specialist bookshops (for example, the IGN offers a very handy 1:15,000 map).

Hike undertaken by the author on 11 November 2016.

This walk forms part of a series of walking routes dedicated to Berlin, none of which claim to be exhaustive in terms of sights to see or places to visit. In addition to the city’s unique urban layout, characterised first and foremost by its open spaces, the following sites are worth noting:
- Oberbaumbrücke (1885) (1). This bridge over the River Spree was one of the checkpoints between West Berlin and East Berlin.
- East Side Gallery, between (1) and (2). This is the longest remaining section of the Wall (1.3 km) and, after 1989, it was painted by various artists.
- Checkpoint Charlie (6). On Friedrichstraße, undoubtedly the most famous border crossing between East and West. There are numerous information boards at this junction, and no fewer than three museums dedicated to the Wall, varying in significance and admission prices.
- Topography of Terror (7). Moving remains of the Gestapo headquarters, with several information panels. Remnants of the Wall run along the street.
- ‘Potsdamer Platz’ (E), surrounded by numerous high-rise buildings.