We will walk through some of Berlin's most charming inner courtyards and have a coffee pit-stop at a 100-year-old (and still very popular) dancing hall. I will tell you about the history of the courtyards and about their inhabitants: from Jewish tradesmen in the 19th century to anarchist squatters in the 1990s, and hipsters today.

 

You will hear a variety of stories, including: - the story of Tacheles - one of Berlin's most iconic artistic squats - the story of the Ampelmann - Berlin's very own Traffic Lights Man - the story of Martin Luther King's surprise visit to East Berlin - the story of the Stumbling Stones - one of the world's most largrescale (and yet most subtle and personal) Holocaust memory projects.

 

We will pass by a number of modern art galleries, and will show you where you can create your own one-of-a-kind necklace from a variety of beads and stones, try on some crazy masquerade masks, and design a mirror with crafted art nouveau ceramic tiles. Staying in the city's historical centre, we will see how intimate courtyards create an essential aspect of Berlin's unique atmosphere.