Nick

Graduating in history from Cambridge University, my first career involved swimming in the shark-infested waters of commercial real estate in London, Frankfurt and Berlin. Two years after moving to this remarkable city, Serena and I launched Original Berlin Walks in 1993. As well as leading tours myself and managing our business, I have written a book for the Thunder Bay publishing house called "Berlin Then and Now", which compares archival pictures of Berlin with shots of the same places today. » Books.

Don't miss: the stunning, newly-reopened New Museum. Most visitors head for this building to see the 3,300 year old bust of Nefertiti but leave yourself enough time to enjoy the building itself (remodelled by British architect, David Chipperfield). To avoid lines, book tickets in advance on line www.neues-museum.de.

Serena

I help run Berlin Walks and also work part-time for Deutsche Welle Television. After a childhood in London listening to stories of how my father had survived at Dunkirk or my mother lived through the Blitz, it's a privilege (and perhaps an irony?) to be involved in an enterprise which sheds light on the past, in what is today a wonderfully tolerant and dynamic city.

Don't miss: The 1936 Olympic Stadium in Charlottenburg where the finals of the 2006 Soccer World Championship were also played. In the summer, you can swim in the very pool where races were held in the infamous 1936 games, although of course it has been modernised and there is a pool for toddlers too.

Restaurant Recommendation: More of a café really – Café K, Sensburger Allee 25 in Charlottenburg. It’s attached to the Georg Kolbe Museum and has a delightful arty feel to it. In the summer, you can sit outside and it’s almost as if you are in someone’s pretty, well-tended back garden!

Olympic Stadium

Sabine

I never imagined that Berlin would so much become “home” for me when moving here for my husband’s job over five years ago, having studied geography/tourism at a small town university in West Germany. Today cycling through the Brandenburg Gate on my usual way around town still gives me a thrill, considering the city’s rich history makes me think and marvel at the great sites, but most of all I just love the big city feel and small town flair of this ever changing unique city.

Don't miss: Potsdamer Platz, because today it has impressive buildings and is bustling with locals and visitors alike for work and play when only 20 years ago it was part of the Death Strip.

Restaurant Recommendation: Not really a restaurant, but the best chips/french fries in town! “Fritz & Co” (on Wittenberg Platz). Especially try their sate/peanut sauce. Great after a stroll along Ku’damm and an interesting contrast after just visiting the gourmet department on the sixth floor of the KaDeWe next door!

PS. Don’t be afraid of taking public transport – it’s fast, it’s cheap, it’s safe, and it’s what the Berliners take too.

Call or email me with your questions or comments about our tours. I look forward to hearing from you! (» Contact)

Sony Center tower, Potsdamer Platz

Heather

For someone who studies 20th century European history, Berlin is the epicenter of it all. The scars of the city´s tumultuous past can be seen everywhere; perhaps the most interesting thing for me is how those scars are remembered and memorialized. I´ve lived in Berlin for three long stretches and now I´m here to stay. The city is so dynamic and ever-changing it´s nearly impossible to leave. While Pennsylvania may be my birthplace, Berlin is where I really feel at home. I took a walking tour when I first visited, which made me want to live in Berlin. Maybe I can inspire you to move here as well!

Don't miss: There's a treasure hidden in plain sight on Pariser Platz next to the Brandenburg Gate. If you're interested in modern architecture, check it out. Inside the DZ Bank HQ beside the American Embassy, you will find a fantastic abstract sculpture done by Frank Gehry. It is supposed to be a fish, but even if you can't tell what it is, it will still take your breath away.

Restaurant Recommendation: For outstanding and reasonably-priced German food, check out the Schwarzwaldstuben, which is located on the corner of Tucholskystrasse and Linienstrasse, just around the corner from the Neue Synogogue. The atmosphere is quirky, the waitstaff are all very friendly, and the food is phenomenal. Try the Gemusemaultauschen, which are pockets of pasta filled with vegetable puree and fried in egg and leek. I could eat there every night!

Torben

Being bilingual and having been raised by a German mother and an American father, I am often asked which country - Germany or the United States - I call home. The short answer is both, although friends accuse me of picking one or the other on an ad hoc basis ("We Germans are very punctual," "You Germans have no sense of humor"). If it were only so easy! Using the duration of my university studies as a yardstick, I am really very German. But then, living in a fascinating city like Berlin is hardly conducive to speeding through college - not even (or should I say especially not?) for someone who grew up on Long Island, New York. Berlin, let it be said, is wonderful. Now if only baseball would take off here… Don't those Germans know what's good for them?

Gigi

I knew within hours of arriving in Berlin during a European holiday in 2005 that it was the place for me, and so far that moment of intuition hasn't let me down. After completing my Bachelor studies in Australia in Cultural Studies, I now study literature and cultural theory at Berlin's Freie Universität. When I'm not doing that, I'm constantly discovering this palimpsest city - its layers of history contributing to a city that today houses many "Berlins" within it.

Don't miss:...spending some time in some of Berlin's liveliest districts - like Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain and Prenzlauer Berg - just strolling around, enjoying a coffee or ice cream, or visiting a flea market will give you a sense of Berlin life today to balance the weight of Berlin's museum and gallery offerings. On a hot summer's day, a visit to one of Berlin's many lakes for a swim or a picnic is a must!
If you have more time, head to some of Berlin's more outlying districts for another view of the city. You could go looking for Berlin's six modernist housing estates from the 1920s (recently honoured with UNESCO world cultural heritage status) or visit the restored Old Town of Köpernick, including the Baroque Köpernick Palace, where Frederick the Great was court martialled by his father in 1730.

Restaurant Recommendation: (one East, one West!) Primaria, a small Bulgarian restaurant in the heart of Friedrichshain, Boxhagenerstr. 26. (walk through Friedrichshain from the S-Bahn station Warschauer Straße, or take the U5 to Samariter Straße). Once you've finished lunch or dinner, there are a range of great bars nearby - or you can drink a beer in the park with the local punks! Genazvale, delicious Georgian food and a large selection of Georgian wines. Windscheidstraße 14, Berlin-Charlottenburg (a very short walk from Charlottenburg S-Bahn station and close to U-Bahn stations on the U2 and U7 lines).

PS If you want to explore Berlin's great music & clubbing scene, it's a good idea to stay in the former East of the city or in Kreuzberg - otherwise you're likely to face a long taxi or train ride home at the end of the night.

Köpernick Town Hall

Joe

Rural West Yorkshire in England is where I'm from but I feel totally at home in Germany's dynamic capital city! As part of my Masters at Manchester University I wrote a dissertation on ‘Berlinerisch’ – the Berliner dialect – which gave me a fascinating insight into how the city’s turbulent history is reflected by the way its inhabitants speak.

Don't miss: Berlin’s markets! Sample the delicious food on offer at stalls in Hackescher Markt on a Thursday or Saturday, or, if you want to mingle with the locals, check out the quirky flea market at Boxhagener Platz (Friedrichshain) on a Sunday, after a great value all-you-can-eat brunch at one of the local cafés.

Restaurant Recommendation: Monsieur Vuong (Alte Schönhauser Str. 46, 10119 Berlin-Mitte). Delicious Vietnamese cuisine and brilliant service, M. Vuong is always bustling with life. You might have to wait five minutes for a table, but as soon as you see/smell the dishes being served, you’ll realise it’s worth the wait.

PS Always validate your public transport ticket in one of the machines on the platform! An invalid ticket gets you a €40 fine, and inspections on trains occur more frequently than you may think.

Turkish market

Holly

I was born to American parents in New Delhi , India and spent many years living abroad in such places asTunisia and Egypt . A job in political science brought me to Berlin in 2001 and now 7 years later I'm married to a German with a little "Berliner" at home! I love the contrasts Berlin has to offer - from gritty, urban edges to peaceful lakes and forests, you can truly have it all.

Don't miss: the social realist architecture of Karl Marx Allee and the 'Bar in der Karl Marx Allee' for cocktails & nostalgia

Restaurant Recommendation: Schneeweiss. New German cuisine in the hip Friedrichshain district. Simplonstrasse 16.

Note: Underneath the rough, Berliner exterior lies a warm heart and great wit

Kristin

I grew up in a small village north of Berlin but have lived in the city for more than 10 years now. I am a passionate traveller but always love to come back to this exciting, diverse and yes, sometimes rough city. But that is what makes Berlin so special.
My favorite place is Kreuzberg, especially in the Summer. Have a stroll along the Landwehrkanal; watch the locals playing boule, buy fresh fruit and veg at the Turkish Market on Maybachufer (Tuesdays and Fridays) or relax in one of the many cafés, bars and restaurants in the neighborhood (Görlitzer Bahnhof; Schlesisches Tor- both U1 or Schönleinstrasse U8).

Don't miss: exploring Berlin east of the city centre. If you are interested in architecture, go to the former Stalinallee, which starts just east of Alexanderplatz. For more about the system of political persecution in East Germany, go to the Stasi Memorial in Hohenschönhausen and if you like beautiful gardens, visit the park in Marzahn (Gärten der Welt).

Restaurant Recommendation: if you are a vegetarian, check out Cookies Cream. Amazing food, not cheap but worth it for a special night out. Behrenstrasse 55, near the Komische Oper and Hotel Westin Grand.

Jim

I arrived here from the University of Minnesota to complete my undergraduate degrees in German Studies and History at Berlin's Freie Universität in 2005, I was immediately absorbed into modern history's most dramatic and compelling world capital. Each day as I walk the streets of Berlin, I constantly feel as though I'm in some kind of a dynamic museum!
It is immensely exhilarating for a "small town boy" from the Midwest to witness the vibrancy and prosperity of this bubbling city while at the same time being aware of the relics, traces and even scars of its turbulent history. Having thought I would only be here for one academic year, I guess you could say that Berlin’s gotten the better of me!

Don't miss:...a visit to the Reichstag before leaving Berlin! To say you've been to the top of a country's capital building for breathtaking views of this historic city is truly special. Avoid long lines, by going early in the morning soon after it opens at 8am OR later on in the evening – last admissions are 10pm but, thanks to the restaurant on the roof, it stays open till midnight.

Restaurant Recommendation: Tucked away underneath the S-bahn tracks between Friderichstrasse and Hackescher Markt is "Deponie No.3" restaurant. This cozy and quaint place, with a wooden interior and a cobblestoned floor, serves hearty portions of traditional "Berliner" and German food, salads, and pasta. If you want an "old Berlin" feeling whilst enjoying a Berliner Pilsner beer as you're waiting for your meal, this will be somewhere you won't forget. It’s also very close to the Pergamon Museum: head towards Friedrichstrasse station and it’s on the righthand side under the train lines (Georgenstrasse 5).

Reichstag

Mort

I have lived in Berlin since 2000, working as an author and screenplay writer. As a life-long history buff, I take great pride in recreating for visitors to "my city" the drama, the horror, and the tragedy of the Nazi years. Blending historical fact, vivid anecdotes, and personal perspective, I aim to make the history of the Third Reich come alive as a multi-dimensional experience.

Restaurant Recommendation: Toro Negro on Nurembergerstr. - corner of Augsburger serves really good Continental food at great prices. (3 course lunch menu for 5 euro). Also Shaan II on Marbergerstr. - an excellent Indian restaurant with moderate prices and wonderful food.

Ruins of Anhalter Bhf

Jakob

I am a Berliner – born here in the late 1970s. I have a MA in history from Berlin´s Humboldt-University so you could say that I am a genuine Berlin historian! Studying history runs in the family; both my parents and my aunt and uncle did it before me, and now I wonder if my young sons will also follow in our footsteps! Giving tours came as a stroke of luck for me because it gives me the chance to combine two things I like: history and performing. I just hope that my enthusiasm for history and my home town of Berlin rubs off on the people who join my tours.

Don't miss: The Volkspark Friedrichshain in summer. With memorials and traces of Berlin's turbulent history (two hills of rubble piled up over the remains of a massive Flak-tower with some parts still sticking out, a memorial for Polish soldiers, another memorial for soldiers of the International Brigades who fought in the Spanish Civil War, a cemetery for fallen Revolutionaries of 1848, ...), sports opportunities (tennis, beach volleyball, half pipe, bouldering, ...), the beautiful park itself with trees, ponds and fountains for the children to splash about in; with playgrounds and lawns, an open air cinema and lots of other things to do, this park offers enough to last a whole summer. Sitting under the evening sun in the Biergarten of the Café Schönbrunn you realize what life in Berlin is all about.

Restaurant Recommendation: Anita Wronski, Knaackstr. 26, 10405 Berlin - Prenzlauer Berg. Nice little place for breakfast.

PS Almost everywhere in Berlin tap water is of a very high quality and safe to drink. No need to buy expensive water in plastic bottles all the time.

Johanna

I came to Berlin fifteen years ago and my first weekend was over New Year's Eve. I'll never forget walking through what then felt like an empty city and standing on heaps of rubble at the Topography of Terror hearing the pops of firecrackers already going off in the late afternoon. By the time the clock struck twelve I was on a building roof in Schöneberg in the foggy rain (a Berlin speciality), ears ringing (because I found out the hard way that Berliners like throwing fireworks at passersby!), and trying to count the dozens of explosions of red and orange stretching as far as the eye could see. Berlin's fairy tale qualities, both the dark and magical, never quite lost its hook in me. I work as a writer and translator and am always inspired by the walks through Berlin and hearing visitors' wonderment and shock at this unique city.

Edo

Although originally from The Netherlands, I have made my home in Berlin since 2003. Initially I came to study here for one semester, and, well, that’s now more than six years ago! I met my German wife here and our two-year-old son is a genuine Berliner. If you’re interested in history, Berlin is the perfect place to be: no other city in Europe has such an interesting and at the same time tragic history. I have specialized not only in the history of National Socialism and the Third Reich, but also in the ways in which post-war Germany coped (and copes!) with this past, with all the fascinating differences between how this was treated in East and West Germany.

Don't miss: the immense Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park (a 10 min walk from S-Bahnhof Treptower Park). This is, first of all, Berlin’s largest war memorial honouring the Soviet soldiers who died fighting during the battle of Berlin in April/May 1945. At the same time, it can be seen as propaganda carved into stone, showing how Stalin and the communist dictatorship abused WWII history to claim legitimacy.

Restaurant Recommendation: Dada Falafel, Linienstrasse 132 (almost on the corner Oranienburgerstrasse/Friedrichstrasse) – simply the best falafel in the whole of Berlin. Don’t forget to try their freshly squeezed carrot-orange juice!

PS Many city-run museums are free of charge every Thursday 6-10pm (but not when there is a special exhibition on!)

Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park

Arja

While studying history at Hamburg University, I worked as a freelance journalist. My love of travel attracted me to become a guide touring Europe and Russia before "settling down" in Berlin! Germany and Berlin are home but I have spent quite some time in Australia and New Zealand on my travels. What I have enjoyed most in recent years was bringing tourists to my home country and introducing them to my culture and history.

Don't miss:…(if you’ve staying a bit longer!) a visit to the abandoned Spreepark: enjoy the atmosphere of a decaying fun park, take lots of photos, incredible! Kiehnwerderallee 1 (east of Treptower Park)

Restaurant Recommendation: PraterGarten Berlin, Kastanienallee 7-9 in Prenzlauer Berg (U2 Eberswalder Strasse). Serves hearty German food in a cosy atmosphere and has a fantastic beer garden in summer (www.pratergarten.de)