Private Backyards of Berlin History Tour

Our tour of the best-preserved historical quarter of Berlin begins at Hackescher Markt, leads through the Schwarzenberg House, where time seems to have stood still, and through the famous Hackesche Höfe.

We follow the small streets, which still correspond to the city layout of the 18th century, and walk in the footsteps of the old Jewish community to the new synagogue. You will also hear the history of St. Hedwig Hospital, the baroque Sophienkirche and the Jewish cemetery from 1671.

Some of the backyards that we will look at are so tranquil that you almost forget about turbulent Berlin, others completely conquer - see See how horse stables became restaurants, factories became galleries and shabby tenements became luxury apartments.

You will look in vain for sleeper boys and workers' children these days - gentrification has Berlin Mitte firmly in its grip. After the fall of the wall, this area, located to the east of the city, was taken over by squatters, students and young artists, and today you will find the highest rents in the city.

We end our tour in front of Clärchens Ballhaus, the oldest ballroom in Berlin, which still adorns the entrance sign of regular guest Otto Dix. Once located in the backyard, today you can enjoy your beer in the front garden - there, where doors lead into nowhere and you can still see on the walls that a front building is missing here.

On this tour, the testimonies of history and modern life are combined in rich contrasts.