Berlin Wall Trail

Berlin Wall Trail and Invalidenstraße border crossing

Hotel i31 lies just 400 m from the Berlin Wall Trail, which traces the course of the former GDR border fortifications encircling West Berlin. Embark on a journey of discovery and explore the former patrol road used by customs officers in West Berlin or the border control road used by GDR border troops for their own patrols. You can rent bicycles from the hotel for a tour of the trail, at an additional charge.

Along the route, information on the division of Germany is provided in English and other languages at the more than 40 stations of the Berlin Wall Trail. You can learn about the construction of the Berlin Wall, and how the Wall fell. The Berlin Wall Trail is divided into 14 separate sections to help you plan your bike or walking tour. Each section is between seven and 21 km long. You can easily reach each section by S-Bahn or U-Bahn.

Invalidenstraße border crossing

The former border crossing at Invalidenstraße, which separated the GDR from West Berlin, is just 400 m from our hotel. At the site of former Invalidenstraße border crossing you can visit the Günter Lifin memorial stone, two information panels along the Berlin Wall History Mile and the sculpture fountain “Sinkende Mauer” (Falling Wall) installed in 1997.

Checkpoint Charlie

A must for all visitors to Berlin is the former border crossing Checkpoint Charlie. The checkpoint was the Allies’ border crossing between East and West Berlin. It is a site of special importance in the history of the Federal Republic. You can easily reach the border crossing from the hotel by heading to the nearby underground station Naturkundemuseum (Natural History Museum) and taking a 10-minute ride on the underground line U6.

Wall Museum

At Checkpoint Charlie, you can also visit the Wall Museum (Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie) opened in 1963. Here you can see photos and documentation of successful escape attempts and objects used by escapees and their helpers such as hot air balloons, various getaway cars and even a mini-submarine. The Wall Museum is the most visited museum in Berlin with 850,000 visitors per year.

For more information on the Invalidenstraße border crossing, the Berlin Wall at Invalidenstraße or Checkpoint Charlie and the Wall Museum, please contact a member of staff at reception.

Berlin Wall Trail