Berlin Things to Do

HURRY! Book by May 9th, 2013 to save 50% on the recommended retail price for select bike and Segway tours in Berlin. This exclusive offer applies to all scheduled departure times and dates through November 30th, 2013. Please note that this offer is available for new transactions only and cannot be applied to any existing booking.

It may seem strange to describe something over 10 kilometers long as a “hidden treasure”, but the Landwehr Canal which follows an eccentric route through Berlin’s south doesn’t appear on most visitors’ itineraries. If you’ve got a few hours to spare, take a walk along its picturesque banks to discover a hidden side of Berlin.

The peaceful revolution which toppled the Berlin Wall in 1989 was one of the major good-news stories of the 20^th century, and its 20^th anniversary was marked by the likes of Mikhail Gorbachev, George Bush (Sr.) and Hillary Clinton in pouring autumn rain last year, with the Brandenburg Gate as a backdrop.

One of the few remaining sections of the Berlin Wall is under threat from developers who plan to tear it down to make room for luxury riverfront condos

As well as being home to world-class museums like the Pergamon and Neue Nationalgalerie, in the years since Reunification Berlin has also become an important center for both producing and selling contemporary art. After the Wall fell, many galleries set up on and around Linienstrasse in the Mitte district, still a major destination for serious collectors and curious passers-by alike.

During World War I, underground bunkers were constructed in Berlin to protect citizens against attacks. They were expanded and fortified during World War II and fully stocked during the Cold War. Now there are only a handful of these tours left in existence, as many have been closed off or destroyed, and they serve as a living museum to a time of fear and uncertainty in the world.