Berliners have lots of green spaces to
choose from. But this isn't just any park.
After the Fall of the Berlin Wall in
1989, this broad section of no-man's land
was turned into a recreational area - the
Mauerpark.  That takes us to this week's
topic - and to the starting point of my 
tour. I'll be following the Berlin Wall
Trail - right through the heart of the  
city.
Today, I ride along the former border 
between East and West Berlin on this bike.
Following the line of the 
Berlin Wall.
I would like to see what remains of the 
history of the division of Europe,
Germany and Berlin. So I'm starting here
in Mauerpark, going to the
Brandenburg Gate and then all the way to 
the East Side Gallery. Let's go.
My first stop on the Berlin Wall Trail
is the Memorial site on Bernauer Strasse.
It's the first stop for anybody wanting
to learn more about the city's division.
Rust-colored poles and sections of the
Wall mark the location of the former border.
Here, a section of the Wall has been
reconstructed as it was during the division.
The viewing platform provides 
the best view of the border
fortifications' true dimensions.  
This is how they appeared up to 1989.
The main and inner walls with the 
Death Strip in between.
Last year, over a million people
visited the Berlin Wall Memorial on 
Bernauer Strasse.
It includes this Documentation Center.
Historian Hannah Berger showed me around the permanent exhibition.
We display historical objects
here that are important, because they
allow for an immediate experience,
especially for visitors who don't know
much about it - who don't know the details about the Berlin Wall.
Here we see pieces of home-made diving equipment that Hubert Holbein used for his escape in 1963.
Why did the Berlin Wall even exist?  
Why did they put up a wall through a city?
That's a very complicated
question. But, if you want the
short answer, I'd have to say that it
became clear after the founding of East
and West Germany in 1949 that two different political systems would become
established, and then they'd have a
situation of mass exodus.
There were many people who wanted to escape East Germany in the 1950s, and it culminated
in the building of the Wall. 
It was a consequence of this exodus.
How did the Wall stand for so long?
Because it was a manifestation of an entire system. 
East Germany was integrated into the system
of Eastern Bloc states, and so it was
dependent on developments there.
Not until the 1980s was the development such
 that a little bit of opening was possible.
But, of course, it was the East 
German citizens who took the decisive
steps toward toppling the Wall here.
How do you teach such a complex subject to
someone who has no connection with 
Berlin? Who perhaps comes from
South America or Asia and then learns 
about the Wall here?
For one, we do it through the historical site.
We talk very specifically about what happened on
Bernauer Strasse, so it's very clear that 
the Berlin Wall split the street into two parts.
So, one side of the street belonged to 
East Berlin and the other side to West Berlin.
Everything  that made up
the Cold War in general was condensed here.
Thank you so much!
My pleasure and thank you!
I press on toward the city center, following the River Spree.
Here behind what's now the government quarter, the
river marked the border between
East and West until 1989.
But it was guarded just as closely as elsewhere, as these white crosses on the
banks testify.  Many escape attempts 
here ended in death.
The Brandenburg Gate stands as a symbol of Germany's reunification.
Until the Fall of the Wall, it symbolized the very
opposite.  It was a part of the Death Strip
right by the Berlin Wall.
Do you know, what this Gate represents?
Oh no, not really.
Do you know, where the Berlin Wall was?
Almost here, that’s my guess. It was around here.
Do you know where the Wall ran?
Back there, behind the Gate. There's a line on the ground. I've been there. I like it.
Where are we now?  In East or West Berlin?
Here?  In the West? In the East. Yes, the East!
Do you know what the Brandenburg Gate stands for?
No, I just got here.  This is my first time here.
Actually, I do not know.
It's a symbol of Germany's reunification.
Exactly!
Oh, very good!
One of the obligatory sites in Berlin
connected with its division and the Fall
of the Wall is, obviously, Checkpoint
Charlie. It can hardly be missed
with all the tourist and hubbub around it.
These large-format photos summarize the
most important points about the former
border crossing, where East and West
faced off toe to toe under high tension.
I continue on our quest for traces of Germany's division, along the Berlin Wall.
Its fall in 1989 was the first big step
toward reunification.  An impressive relic
is the longest section of the Berlin Wall still standing, the East Side Gallery.
A few weeks after the Fall of the Wall,
118 artists from 21 countries gathered
to paint this section. The pictures are
expressions of a new era dawning and
hint at the emotions, fears and hopes it inspired.
The Wall left many visible traces
 in Berlin, and not just in the central tourist spots.
There are lesser known places that have come back into their own.
One such oasis is Kreuzberg's  Engelbecken. Until November, 1989, it was
part of the Death Strip. The water was 
gone, the basin filled in with rubble and
topped with border fortifications.
After the Fall of the Wall, the urban green
space around the Engelbecken was restored.
It's a good place to end my journey
along the Berlin Wall Trail.
I've seen a lot and I've learned a lot. 
And I think it's quite good to focus on
one topic: discovering Berlin by
following the path of the Berlin Wall.
That takes you right through the heart 
of the capital. You have the chance to
catch some sightseeing highlights and at
the same time you can learn a lot about
the city's history. What do you want more? 
Bye bye, see you next time here
on Check-in!
