Third Reich Berlin Walking Tour: French-speaking guide

A Catholic hospital, a Protestant church, and a Jewish cemetery stood on the same street during the Nazi era.

This 3-hour French-guided walking tour traces the rise of Nazism in Berlin, starting at Potsdamer Platz and moving through the Jewish quarter, the German Resistance Memorial, and sites of persecution. The guide covers propaganda, terror, and the fate of Berlin's Jewish community and other victims, with stops at the New Synagogue, Otto Weidt's Workshop for the Blind, and the Hackescher Markt, using public transport to connect key locations. A local French-speaking guide leads the group through lesser-known memorials including the T4 memorial and the Street of Tolerance, where institutions serving different faiths and communities once stood alongside sites of Nazi violence.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. New Synagogue15m
2. Haus Schwarzenberg20m
3. Museum of Otto Weidt's Workshop for the Blind20m
4. Hackescher Marktpassing by

Third Reich Berlin Walking Tour

• Meet at Potsdamer Platz
• See Varian Fry memorial
• Visit German Resistance Memorial
• Visit deportation station ruins
• Take train to Jewish quarter
• Learn about Jewish community history
• Explore Jewish institutions street
• See old Jewish cemetery and Sammellager
• Visit Otto Weidt's workshop museum
• End at Hackescher Markt

The experience

How do you move through a city's darkest history without a car? This tour starts at Potsdamer Platz and uses Berlin's public transport to connect sites across three hours, so you're not walking the whole distance on foot. The guide speaks French and leads you through the mechanisms of propaganda and persecution, beginning with a memorial to American journalist Varian Fry, then moving to the Bendlerblock: the German Resistance Memorial where Operation Valkyrie was directed, a site now honoring Germans who fought against Nazism.

A train ride takes you to the former Jewish quarter, where you'll see the New Synagogue and learn about the 19th and 20th century community that once thrived there. On the Street of Tolerance, the guide points out how a Catholic hospital, a Protestant church, and an old Jewish cemetery stood near a former Jewish retirement home that the Gestapo converted into a transit camp: a single block holding the coexistence and destruction of multiple communities. You'll also visit Haus Schwarzenberg, where a school for Jewish girls and an orphanage operated before the Nazi period reshaped their purpose.

The tour includes a stop at the Museum of Otto Weidt's Workshop for the Blind, where you'll hear the story of a factory owner who employed blind and deaf Jews during World War II, producing brooms and brushes while trying to protect his workers from deportation. The group ends at Hackescher Markt. The T4 memorial marks the site where the Nazi regime planned the murder of tens of thousands of disabled people: one of the lesser-known memorials that shape this route.

What’s included

• A French-speaking local guide leads the entire 3-hour route.
• public transport connections between stops are included.
• entry to the Museum of Otto Weidt's Workshop for the Blind is part of the itinerary.
• local taxes are covered.

Before you book

Days and timesFridayDeparts at 10:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (22 and older) · Youth (12 to 21 years) · Child (under 12): free

GroupUp to 24

Live guideFrench

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessiblePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Vive Berlin Tours

Is this one for you?Start at Potsdamer Platz using Berlin's public transport, no car needed, and the guide handles the route and timing across the Jewish quarter and resistance sites, so you can focus on the history without navigating between locations yourself.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 21 years); Child (under 12): free.

What does the Street of Tolerance show about Berlin during the Nazi era?

The Street of Tolerance is a single block where a Catholic hospital, a Protestant church, and an old Jewish cemetery stood near a former Jewish retirement home that the Gestapo turned into a transit camp: a physical record of coexistence and persecution side by side.

Do I need to arrange my own transport between the stops on this tour?

No. The tour uses Berlin's public transport to move between key locations, so you don't walk the entire route on foot. The guide leads you through the connections as part of the 3-hour itinerary.

What is the Museum of Otto Weidt's Workshop for the Blind about?

The museum tells the story of a small factory where Otto Weidt employed blind and deaf Jews during World War II to produce brooms and brushes, while attempting to protect them from deportation: a record of resistance and humanity under Nazi rule.

Where does the tour start and how do I get there?

The tour begins at Potsdamer Platz, a central Berlin location accessible by public transport. If you're staying elsewhere in the city without a car, you can reach the meeting point using the U-Bahn or S-Bahn.

Does the tour visit the New Synagogue?

Yes. The New Synagogue is a stop in the Jewish quarter portion of the tour, where the guide discusses the history of Berlin's Jewish community in the 19th and 20th centuries.

What does the German Resistance Memorial commemorate?

The German Resistance Memorial at the Bendlerblock marks the site where Operation Valkyrie was directed and now honors all Germans who opposed and fought against Nazism.