Review: Berlin Bus Tour to Sachsenhausen & East Side Gallery

Berlin, a place with plenty of echoes of different eras, can really get under your skin if you take the time to pay attention. Recently, I, too, went on a bus tour that took in both the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp & the East Side Gallery and I wanted to tell you about the things I saw and how it made me feel. It gives you a chance, arguably, to reflect on the country’s story, its shadows, and moments of optimism. Hopefully, this will help you think about, for example, whether it might be something up your street if you are planning to visit the city.

Why Choose This Tour?

Lots of tours of Berlin exist and so you may be asking yourself why select this particular one? So, for me, its attraction lies in the contrast it presents, actually. It merges reflections on deep trauma, so it’s almost an unvarnished look at the worst of times with the freedom represented by art on what’s left of the Berlin Wall. A bus tour also can be helpful, it seems, if you aren’t as confident getting around a strange city by public transport for example, especially as Sachsenhausen is a bit out of town. More or less, you get a feel for various aspects of Berlin and its surrounding areas, and also pack a fair amount in, in that case, if your visit is a short one.

Visiting Sachsenhausen: A Somber Experience

Visiting Sachsenhausen, well that can be a very heavy experience and so you might want to prepare yourself a bit. You are confronted directly by displays that explain what went on. Furthermore, it brings you face to face with the awful way human beings can treat one another and the exhibit includes some personal stories of the people held there. It gives real people a voice, even now. We went around with a guide and he carefully showed us around places like the barracks, the jail cells, and the area where roll call was done, it’s almost an unvarnished experience. One thing, though, be prepared to walk, the site is pretty sprawling and it’s outside so be sure to keep an eye on the weather, you might want to pack an umbrella.

The East Side Gallery: Art and Freedom

You’ll find a very different vibe at the East Side Gallery, the longest remaining part of the Berlin Wall. What was once a symbol of conflict has now become a canvas, instead. Artists from all over the planet have decorated the wall with imagery and murals and some of the artwork touches on political issues, the value of togetherness and hopes for the time ahead. The gallery snakes its way along the River Spree for what seems like miles, if I remember correctly. It makes a great place, for example, for taking photos, thinking about changes that have come about, and enjoying how art can bring out emotion. We found lots of places close by to eat and so a bit of food while we looked at the art was a great way to round off our time there.

What to Expect on the Bus Tour

So, when you climb aboard the bus, what should you imagine? You will normally find it leaves from a central point in Berlin and I recall that the bus was quite cozy and it had windows that went right up into the roof so that you could see a lot, actually. The tour guides generally are good at telling stories and seem able to bring things to life, adding plenty of background details, still. The journey to Sachsenhausen takes a little bit of time as it is out of the city, yet this gives you a breather before getting there, for instance. The East Side Gallery is much closer to the middle of town and so you get there quite swiftly after you have hopped back on the bus again.

Things I liked

I did want to note down just a few of the bits I thought were particularly good in case it helps you decide what to do.

• The contrast between Sachsenhausen and the East Side Gallery. Seeing these places one after the other really caused food for thought, in fact.
• Our tour guide’s knowledge. They had loads of information to offer, I’m sure.
• Taking things easy by not having to figure out public transport. Sitting on a bus can take things down a notch and just make it very simple to get about, in that case.

Things that could be better

No experience is ever totally top-notch so now I just want to chat through some bits I wasn’t so keen on just to be balanced. So here goes:

• More time. Both sites deserve a long visit but fitting them both in in one day didn’t give us quite enough time to see everything.
• The weather. Seeing as it’s pretty much all outdoors, being on the tour when it is pelting with rain might be really difficult.
• Sachsenhausen can be quite bleak. Of course this tour couldn’t change that in any way but if you have a sensitive disposition it might be something you want to consider ahead of time, arguably.

Is This Tour For You?

So, you’re asking yourself if this tour is a good fit? Perhaps you will find it worthwhile if these statements speak to you, such as:

• You are fascinated by modern European history.
• You don’t want the fuss of hiring cars or working out train schedules, in short.
• You get a lot from viewing historic places & art, like your mum for example.

Then again, you might decide it’s not a thing for you if you:

• Like to spend longer at individual places, as I was saying.
• Are of the view that dark periods of history aren’t for you, actually.
• You are very keen on everything going at your own pace, in fact.