Checkpoint Charlie Guide

Checkpoint Charlie was the Allied crossing point between the American and Soviet sectors on Friedrichstraße from 1961 until 1990, used by diplomats, military personnel and foreign visitors. In October 1961, American and Soviet tanks faced each other here in a tense standoff. It is a place everyone has heard of, and it is smaller and more commercial than people expect.

What is real and what is not

The white guardhouse in the middle of the street is a replica. The original is kept at the Allied Museum in Dahlem. The sandbags, the sign saying "You are leaving the American sector" and the actors dressed as soldiers are for visitors, and the souvenir stalls nearby sell items with no connection to the site. The street-side panels with photographs and the history of the crossing are the useful part, and they are free to read.

How long to allow

Ten to fifteen minutes is enough. Read the panels, look at the large photographs of the soldiers on either side, and move on. We would not queue for photographs with the actors, and we would not pay to be stamped in a fake passport.

The museum

A private museum stands beside the crossing and focuses on escape stories and the ingenuity of people who fled East Germany. It is dense and old-fashioned in presentation, and opinion about it is divided, so read recent reviews and the official site before you decide.

Where to go instead

For a serious account of the division, walk ten minutes to the Topography of Terror, where a long stretch of the Wall still stands, or travel to the Berlin Wall Memorial and the East Side Gallery. Lighter alternatives are the DDR Museum for everyday life, and the nearby Gendarmenmarkt square, one of the most graceful in Berlin. Checkpoint Charlie is on the way between these places, so stop briefly when you pass.