Shore Excursion: A 3-Hour Tour of Berlin's Main Attractions

Hi, my name is Martin, and I'm a trained and certified Berlin Tour Guide with an MA from Bath University and a PhD from Warwick. Additionally, I am also fully vaccinated and boostered against Covid 19. I'm (West-)German born and raised and settled in (West-)Berlin in 1989, by sheer coincidence at the time of The Fall of The Wall. I was young, restless, and curious, and subsequently thoroughly inspected all those areas previously inaccessible to Westerns, areas like Prenzlauer Berg , Mitte . and so on. I lived through the heyday of the Techno era (E-Werk, Bunker, Tresor, etc. ) and relished every minute of it. But in the mid-1990s, I felt tired of Berlin and the staleness that followed the hype over the Fall of The Wall. So I moved first to London - where I lived for 3 years - and then to Paris - where I lived for more than 7 years, working at Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, before, at the not so tender age of 41, I decided to go back to studying. So I applied at Bath University and did an MA in Film Studies, graduating with Distinction. Following that, the University of Warwick offered me a generous Vice Chancellor's bursary to do a PhD, where I explored German-Jewish rescue organisations that emerged as a result of the Nazi takeover in January 1933. This research sent me to archives around the globe (the Center for Jewish History In New York; the American Film Institute; the University of Southern California; the German Literature Archive, and so forth), and, eventually . . . back to Berlin! Because their Holocaust Memorial offered me an internship and a participation in their Spring 2011 exhibition on the Adolf Eichmann Trial in Jerusalem in 1961. And so, here I was, back in the city which I'd left 15 years earlier. But unlike in 1995, Berlin, I quickly realized, had become a lot more dynamic. So much was going on, torn down, rebuilt, newly built, and the changes the city had undergone (and is still undergoing) finally prompted me to stay. So much had changed, that I literally had to discover the city anew. But what fun it was. And still is! Especially, since I have a very faithful companion, my adorable Sealyham-Terrier I adopted, Whiley. Let me tell you, there's no better way to explore a city than having a dog who never tires of walking and keeps you on your toes. Usually, when I'm out guiding he has to stay home (most of the time, unless my customers don't mind or even ask to get to know him, which does happen!). But when I'm out to explore and discover, on the trail for new, exciting tours in previously unexplored parts of town - he's always by my side. Most travellers who don't know Berlin forget that Berlin is nine times the size of Paris! That alone makes navigating the city a challenge, especially so, when you want to go off the beaten track. And that's what I like the most. Needless to say, I can show you and explain every detail of Berlin's tumultuous history, be that the 20th or the 18th century, where Prussian King Frederick The Great left his mark on Berlin to a degree hardly any other ruler did. Until Hitler came around, that is, which in turn led to the destruction of much of it and worse, to the persecution and murder of much of Europe's Jewry, its Sinti&Roma population, not to mention the homosexuals, Communists, and so on! Indeed I can tell you all about all that and more, however, what I equally relish in, is surprising my customers by showing them neighbourhoods of Berlin most of them didn't even know existed. Neighbourhoods that are so diverse and so ethnically and architecturally different, that some first-time visitors are virtually stunned because it's not what they expected to find in Berlin. But then, there is also all that architecture, and all those amazing museums, not to mention all those parks and lakes - some of which come with veritable lidos! - . . . well, there is so much to see and do here in Berlin, so the way I see it: You may be able to do Paris or London without a local guide, but in Berlin, having one is virtually essential! - MA (with Distinction) from Bath University/ UK - PhD from Warwick University/ UK (topic of my dissertation: German-Jewish exile organisations in the US that emerged as a result of the Nazi takeover in Germany) - Internship: Holocaust Foundation & Memorial, Berlin - Tour Guide Certificate for Berlin, based on DIN and EU guidelines - Tri-lingual (English - French - German) - Contemporary witness as I witnessed the fall of the Wall first hand - COVID 19 vaccinated and boostered I am not a driver. I can accompany you in your vehicle or I can arrange for a separate car and driver. I am only able to guide groups up to four people through historical monuments and museums.