Sandemans of Berlin: A Free Walking Tour

As general sceptics of anything organised by others, it was a complete shock to my husband’s system when one night, during our planning stages, I turned round to him and announced that I had booked us onto an arranged walking tour of Berlin. With puzzlement on his face, he turned and asked what the catch was. Our preferred method when landing in any new city is to wander the streets. We tend to get lost whilst exploring after I have spent hours perusing the internet and guidebooks, researching the sights and uncovering the more uncommon stop-off points along the way.

So why the change in this city?

Well, firstly, it’s FREE!!! Yes, that is correct – not a typo, I promise.

Why should I choose a free walking tour?

Firstly, this is a cost-effective way of seeing the sights. Never one to turn down a good offer, as soon as I see the word ‘free’, I am interested.

Now, I am not stupid enough or lax enough to just assume that by ‘free’ it means good. Therefore, after seeing an advert for the Sandemans Free Walking Tour, I started to do some research. TripAdvisor may not be to everyone’s taste, but on this occasion, it is where I started. Not one person had a bad word about this group, leading me to think that either they were paying a lot of money for reviews or they were good. Either way, they had grabbed my attention, and consequently, I booked two for a tour!

Sandemans free walking tour in Berlin

All free tours with Sandemans start in front of the Starbuck’s at the Brandenburg Tor (Brandenburg Gate). My advice is be there at least fifteen minutes early before the bedlam starts.

If you have booked online you gain priority but only if you are there early enough. Two separate tours run, one in English and one in Spanish. This means that guides don’t have to translate their way around the city. You choose the group that is best suited to your language needs. It means nothing gets lost in translation.

What to expect when you arrive

We decided to arrive early, after our epic morning stroll around parts of the city. As we sat there, I began to wonder whether when Starbucks were asked by Sandemans if they could use this for the start of their tours they were apprehensive at all or whether they themselves saw it as a cash making scheme. It really should have been the latter. Not only is it busy anyway because of its location but nearly everyone joining the tour stopped off for at least a beverage and toilet stop before starting!

Be warned should you think that you can just jump in here quickly to use the loo before heading off there is a charge and whilst not steep, 0.50 cents comes as a shock when you are not use to paying for the service in Starbucks.

Once checked in we were given a ticket and asked to go and wait in the centre of the road (not as dangerous as it sounds) in between the S-Bahn station and Hotel Adlon whilst the tour guides were allocated. This gave us a moment to get a, now mandatory, selfie in with the Brandenburg Gate protruding in the background before David, our guide for the afternoon, came over and whisked us away to start the tour.

So where does the Sandemans Tour take you?

1) The Brandenburg Tor

An iconic symbol of Berlin, the Brandenburg Tor was once one of 18 gates to the city. These gates would have been used to collect taxes from people as they entered. Today, the bold landmark, can be seen from a distance down Unter der Linden, and is a striking masterpiece of architecture that visitors flock.

Close by you have the Hotel Adlon, originally made famous by Greta Garbo and Charlie Chapli. It is now however probably better remembered as the hotel where Michael Jackson stayed at whilst swinging his child over the balcony. During our tour, and by sheer coincidence, David, our guide timed his description of this episode to perfection. Just as he started, a group entered the main square dancing along to Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror!

2) The Holocaust Memorial

Pass under the gate and you will see the Tiergarten in front of you. Head left and you come up to the Holocaust memorial. This is where you will find many memorials to those who suffered during WWII.

As you wander around here you will also see rows of cobble stones four wide embedded into the ground. This marks where the Berlin Wall once stood. It’s a visual reminder that people did not always have the freedom to cross the road like we can today.

Reaching the Holocaust Memorial, even on a sunny day, the goose bumps spread over my arms at a fast pace. Seeing the 2711 looming grey columns standing rigidly in front of me makes me feel very sombre. Walking amongst the blocks, emotion washes over me for what everyone, not just the Jews have had to endure, at the hands of others during such a horrific time. The design of this memorial is apt in that it makes you reflect, it makes you think. No-one could come here and use it as a playground. Even with its design of uneven walkways – this is a place for contemplation.

Next to the memorial site is the Jewish Museum. This is completely free to enter and open late into the evenings. Be mindful however, that as with many museums in Berlin, it is not open on Mondays.

3) Hitler’s Bunker

Standing, looking out over a concrete car park it is difficult to imagine that Hitler himself once walked over the very ground that we were all stood on. To avoid the fanatics and the worshippers turning this place into a shrine the bunker itself has long since disappeared. A block of flats has sprouted up in its place in the hope that the sinister past of this location would quietly die out. Unfortunately, the sign out front highlights exactly where the location of the bunker is.

Do you believe that Hitler took his own life here just one day after marrying his wife? Or, do you believe in one of the many other theories relating to this dictator?

4) Former Reichsluftfahrt Ministerium

The former HQ of the Luftwaffe, one of the few Nazi-era buildings still standing after 80% of Mitte was destroyed, is now used as the Ministry of Finance. An imposing subdued building that stretches the length of Niederkirchner Straβe to the Topographie des Terrors.

5) Topographie des Terrors

This is a well preserved part of the Berlin Wall. It runs around the grounds of what was one of the most feared sites of Nazi Germany – the Gestapo Headquarters and the SS central Command. Now very much levelled to the ground, it is here that plans were agreed which lead to millions losing their lives.

This is also one of the very few places where you can actually get a sense of the death strip. This was the section of ‘no-man’s-land’ in between the two dividing walls separating East and West Berlin.

At this point during the tour we had a stop off for coffee. This gave us an opportunity to relax, take in what we had learnt about Berlin’s history, and refuel. It also gave people time to purchase tickets for any of the other tours that Sandeman’s offer should they wish.

6) Checkpoint Charlie

If there was going to be one disappointment during the tour this was always going to be it. Once a major crossing point between East and West, it has now become probably the largest tourist attraction in the city. With its popularity comes the usual tacky, almost comical theatrics. Two men dressed in uniform happy to pose for photos (which I am sure would come at a cost!) in front of a replica of the former crossing point. Hence to say we moved on quickly.

7) Gendarmenmarkt

Probably one of the most beautiful squares in Berlin and a place to return to after the tour to sit and have coffee at one of the cafes. Here you will find the striking Konzerthaus commanding your attention in the very centre. There is also a memorial to one of Germany’s most revered 18^th Century poets and playwrights, Fredrich Schiller.  Whilst at one end you have the dominating Französischer Dom, at the other the impressive Deutscher Dom. It is the only square to have churches where services are completed in both French and German at the same time.

Across the road from the square we also spy an Ampelmann shop – this has become a bit of a cult following in Berlin and as David, our Sandemans guide, informs us has lasted since the divide. The Ampelmann was a symbol on East Berlin pedestrian signals (the generic male figure was a symbol in the West). It has since popped up all over the city and now has its own souvenir range and even a café and bar close to the river. Keep an eye out when you visit the city; watch for the pedestrian signs as this is a clear way to tell whether you are in what would have been the old East/West divided states.

8) Bebelplatz

Walking on to this square today you would be forgiven for not realising that back in 1933 around 20,000 books were set alight by Nazi students in an act of clear defiance. Books by Marx and Brecht went up in smoke alongside books on topics like abortion in what was believed to be a symbolic burning.

Heinrich Heine, whose work was also burned, wrote:

“Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen”:

“Where they burn books, they will in the end also burn people.”

Back in 1820 I am not sure even Heine would have realised how close his prediction would be to reality.

In front of what was a palace but is now ironically a university building you will find a memorial to the book burning episode buried into the ground – vast white empty bookshelves.

Being a bibliophile I just can’t imagine why anyone would want to destroy books. I have heart palpitations when I see that someone has written in the margin of one!!!

9) Museum Island

Heading around the back of the History museum and over Eiserne Brücke we wander onto the Island and are faced with the beauty and individuality of each of the museums. Each one is distinctive and enticing and whilst we are listening to the descriptions, I am also scouting around deciding which one we will start with if we have time.

At weekends it is also worth noting that there is an Art Market set out along the side of the Island exposing visitors to an overwhelming display of artwork, crafts and tapestries.

Our tour with Sandemans comes to an end with us sitting in front of the Berliner Dom. Just as the sun is beginning to set David retells a story of how the Berlin Wall finally met its demise. It seems a fitting way to finish, surrounded by a charming mix of old and new architectural delights listening to how the new city of Berlin came into being.

We have, of course, participated in tours before. This one however, was one of the most informative. We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon and would highly recommend this tour if you are visiting the city for the first time.

Booking a Sandemans Tour: Top Tips

• Book ahead because the free Sandemans tour is popular. Also, if you don’t arrive on time you may be disappointed as spaces are limited.
• Look at the other tours they provide. Whilst you have to pay for them, each guide specialises in certain areas so you are guaranteed an informative and often entertaining day out.
• Each guide works on a tips basis so if you enjoyed the tour be generous. David worked extremely hard during the afternoon he spent with us and we thought that a 20 euro tip was completely justified for the two of us.

We were so impressed with this tour that we also booked to visit Sachsenhausen with them. For more information on Sandemans Tours in Berlin click here.

Have you visited Berlin? Perhaps you too have done a Sandemans Tour in either Berlin or elsewhere that you would recommend.

Did you enjoy this article? Then PIN it for later…