The Wall and the gate
From the building of the Wall in 1961, the Brandenburg Gate stood in a border area that the public could not enter. The gate reopened on 22 December 1989. That is a different event from the opening of the border on 9 November 1989, and people often mix the two up.
The Berlin Wall Foundation describes the Wall and the border regime for the period from 1961 to 1989. The fall of the Wall is not the same thing as German unification, and this guide keeps the two apart.
The number of dead is a matter for careful wording. According to the foundation, at least 140 people were killed at the Berlin Wall or died in connection with the GDR border regime from 1961 to 1989 (as of October 2026). The figure covers the Berlin Wall only, not the whole inner German border.
Three places compared
Details as of October 2026. This guide is independent. For binding hours, check the Berlin Wall Foundation.
| Place | What it is | Entry | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bernauer Straße | Memorial with a visitor centre, a documentation centre, a tower and an outdoor exhibition | Free | Centres Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; outdoor exhibition daily, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| East Side Gallery | About 1.3 km of the former border wall, painted by 118 artists from 21 countries | Free | Outdoor area around the clock; information point daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Mauerweg | Route for walking and cycling through Berlin and Brandenburg | – | – |
Our picks: Berlin Wall tours
Two guided walks, one of them with a visit to the Berlin Wall Memorial.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Two-hour Berlin Wall walk with a guide
A guided walk that includes a visit to the Berlin Wall Memorial. The meeting point depends on the option you book.
Check availability →
Two-hour guided walk on Third Reich and Cold War history
A guided walk that starts at the tourist information at the Brandenburg Gate. Tips for the guide are not included.
Check availability →Tours with Berlin Wall stops
Walking and bike tours that include Cold War sites, with live prices and availability. Check each route to see which Wall sites are included.
Bernauer Straße
The memorial on a former border street.
Entry is free. The visitor centre and the documentation centre are open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The last ascent of the tower is at 5:45 p.m. The outdoor exhibition is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
You get there by S-Bahn to Nordbahnhof or by U-Bahn to Bernauer Straße. It is not a short walk straight from the Brandenburg Gate, so plan the ride. A single ticket for Berlin AB costs €4.00 in 2026 and is valid for 120 minutes in one direction.
9 November 2026
The centres have a special opening on Monday, 9 November 2026, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Christmas and New Year 2026
The indoor centres are closed on 24, 25 and 31 December 2026. On 26 December 2026 the visitor centre is open from noon to 6 p.m., and the documentation centre is listed as open that day.
East Side Gallery
The painted wall between Ostbahnhof and Oberbaumbrücke.
The East Side Gallery is a stretch of about 1.3 km of the former border wall. According to the foundation, 118 artists from 21 countries painted it. You can walk along the wall at any hour, and it costs nothing.
The information point at Mühlenstraße 73 is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. From November it is closed on Fridays. A closing notice for the information point covers 24 December 2026 to 2 January 2027. That notice does not close the outdoor wall.
Standard guided tour
The public standard tour costs €5, reduced €3. A tour longer than 90 minutes costs €7, reduced €4. This is separate from the free access to the wall.
Groups
Group offers should be booked in advance.
The Mauerweg
The Mauerweg is a route of about 160 km for walking and cycling through Berlin and Brandenburg. It is described in 14 stages. The length of the route is not the length of the historic border fortifications.
On a guided bike tour, check the route before you book. The Highlights tour and the Berlin Wall tour are different products, and one does not necessarily cover the other. More on the bike tour page.
Continue your visit
Related places and pages.
Checkpoint Charlie
The former crossing point, the outdoor exhibition and the Wall Museum.
History of the Brandenburg Gate
From Prussia to the reopening of the gate on 22 December 1989.
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
The field of stelae and the underground information centre.
Berlin bike tours
Guided rides and what each route covers.
Berlin Wall: frequently asked questions
Where can I still see the Berlin Wall?
Two main places are Bernauer Straße, a memorial with an outdoor exhibition, and the East Side Gallery, a painted stretch of about 1.3 km. The Mauerweg follows the former border for about 160 km.
Is it free to visit?
Yes, entry to Bernauer Straße and to the wall at the East Side Gallery is free. A guided tour at the East Side Gallery costs €5, reduced €3, or €7 and €4 if it lasts longer than 90 minutes.
How many people died at the Berlin Wall?
According to the Berlin Wall Foundation, at least 140 people were killed at the Berlin Wall or died in connection with the GDR border regime from 1961 to 1989 (as of October 2026). The figure does not cover the whole inner German border.
Is the Wall near the Brandenburg Gate?
Bernauer Straße is reached from Nordbahnhof or Bernauer Straße station and is not directly behind the gate. The East Side Gallery lies between Ostbahnhof and Oberbaumbrücke. Plan time for the ride.
When did the Brandenburg Gate reopen?
On 22 December 1989. The border opened earlier, on 9 November 1989, which is a different event.