David Bowie's West-Berlin: A Private Tour Highlighting the City's Historical Changes
5.0
3 Ratings
Berlin
Step into David Bowie's West-Berlin of the 1970s on this private tour. Explore the historical changes the city has undergone and visit the sites Bowie sings about in his homage to Berlin. From Potsdamer Platz to Hansa Studios, Zoo Station to the famous 'Dschungel', and ending at Bowie's former home, this tour is a must for Bowie fans and history enthusiasts alike.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Potsdamer Platz - This iconic square went from bustling hub to wasteland and back to being a bustling hub yet again! Bowie sings about this square in his 2012 song, “Where are We Now?”, and on tour, we are tracing the places and Berlin haunts Bowie sings about in his song. Potsdamer Platz is one of them!
- Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) - Another famous Berlin landmark Bowie sings about in his homage to Berlin, “Where are We Now?”. He used to buy his groceries in this famous department store, one that is deeply steeped in history.
- Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten - The notorious Christiane F. was a huge David Bowie fan. Along with her friends she hung about Zoo Station, which back in the day, was a dingy place indeed. Times have changed! In the movie based on her book, Bowie’s music can be heard throughout as he provided the soundtrack, or rather, allowed the producer and the director to use his songs.
- Hansa Studios - This is where Bowie recorded the better part (literally!) of his “Berlin Trilogy”. That’s you opportunity to take pictures of this iconic studio and admire the fabulous GIF-animation of him in one of their windows!
- Nürnberger Str. 53 - Former location of the Dschungel, one of the hang-outs where Bowie could be found almost every night. Though the Dschungel no longer exists, the location where it used to be, does!
- HauptstraÃe 155 - Bowie’s former home! Here’s your chance to take a good look at the building Bowie called his home for almost 3 years between 1976 and 1978. There are always flowers or candles, etc. outside placed on a ledge, a ledge that is part of this turn-of-the-century building, so as if the building’s architect had known, that about 70 years later a famous musician would one day live here, for fans and admirers to pay their respects!
- Neues Ufer - “Neues Ufer”/ formerly “Anderes Ufer”, a local gay bar where Bowie hung out a lot, usually to take a night cap as back then, this bar was open 24/7. Having a drink here is optional, and many customers choose to have one after the tour.
What's Included
- Expert guiding services
What's Not Included
- Tea and coffee
- tickets, etc.
Additional Information
This journey transports you to the era of West Berlin in the 1970s, showcasing the vast transformations Berlin has experienced from then till now. By doing this, it explores various sites and locations that David Bowie commemorates in his 2012 tribute song to Berlin, ‘Where are We Now?’. Our journey begins at Potsdamer Platz, from where we walk towards Hansa Studios. We then hop onto the train to visit City West. After a brief visit at Zoo Station, we direct our steps to the renowned ‘Dschungel’ and then the KaDeWe - two places that Bowie was known to frequent and has referenced in his song. We again take the train to check out the gay bar where Bowie usually ended his evenings, before wrapping up the tour in front of the very building he resided in from 1976 to 1978.
Location
Deutsche Kinemathek
Potsdamer Straße
next to the entrance of the Museum for Film and Television
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(3 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
649gillm
Jan 30, 2023
Always Enjoyable. - Martin is very knowledgeable & covers a variety of subjects on his tours. Whether it's to do with David Bowie, architecture or the Holocaust, he is professional & provides a wealth of information. I have enjoyed his tours immensely & certainly would recommend him.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Denisedk2811pa
Jun 13, 2022
Unique experience in Berlin - Martin was hired as a guide, but delivered a true immersion in German culture. We had a unique experience and returned to our country more and more interested not only in keeping all the knowledge acquired, but aiming at finding more in topics discussed, as we were really inspired.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lauren
Feb 21, 2022
Great private custom tour - My son is taking his GCSE's in UK for History so Martin gave us a tour based off of my son's curriculum. Fantistic and insightful , my son is on his way to an A* Thanks
Review provided by Tripadvisor
More activities from this operator
