Bowie's Berlin Tour

We are thrilled to announce our tour to Berlin to explore the city that defined David Bowie and that he helped define, from April 22-30, 2017. Make your reservation now! Details below.

Stumbling out of the glare of the Los Angeles spotlight, "having come so close to exploding in a coke-fueled supernova," Bowie found solace in his anonymity in Berlin where he shook off the illusional pursuits of Hollywood and tapped, once again, into his inner creativity. 

During the three years that David Bowie lived in Berlin, he composed "Low" (1977), "Heroes" (1977), and "Lodger" (1979). He shared a modest flat with the godfather of Punk, Iggy Pop, on Haupstrasse 155 in the Schöneberg district.

We'll leave you with the lyrics from "Heroes," inspired by a couple who would kiss conspiratorially near the barricaded wasteland of Potsdamer Platz that separated the East from the West of the city. 

Bowie in the control room at Hansa Studios, Berlin.

Bowie in the control room at Hansa Studios, Berlin.

“I, I can remember (I remember)
Standing, by the wall (by the wall)
And the guns, shot above our heads (over our heads)
And we kissed, as though nothing could fall (nothing could fall)
And the shame, was on the other side
Oh, we can beat them, forever and ever
Then we could be heroes, just for one day.”


 

Dates

April 22-30, 2017

Itinerary

Saturday        Scary Monsters - Club kids, druggies, and crazies

  • The site of the Dschungel, the quintessential '70s Berlin club where Bowie partied many a night away, mentioned in his 2013 single "Where Are We Now?"
  • The Bahnhof Zoo train station and the setting of "Christiane F.," a film about the drug scene in which David Bowie played himself and composed the soundtrack.
  • The Galerie Nierendorf where Alistair Crowley, an inspiration for the Thin White Duke, "throwing darts in lovers' eyes," made an appearance after faking his own death.
  • Dinner at Paris Bar, Bowie's favorite restaurant in Berlin, which he said had the best steak frites in town and was the site of a notorious Rolling Stone interview.

Sunday          Where are we now? - before and after The Wall

  • Bösebrücke, the site of the East/West border crossing and where the Berlin Wall came down.
  • Mauerpark - flea market and karaoke, the epitome of the freedom that was made possible after The Wall came down.
  • The Mauer Memorial - see the remains of The Wall that defined Bowie's Berlin both physically and psychologically.
  • Humboldthain Park and Flak Tower - for a bit of the WW II history that culminated in the construction of The Wall.

Monday         'Heroes' - the making of 'Heroes' and of a hero

  • Hansa studios, where Bowie recorded Low and 'Heroes' and produced The Idiot for Iggy Pop.
  • Potsdammer Platz, the site of the section of The Wall that was the inspiration for the song 'Heroes'.
  • The Tiergarten and Brandenburg Gate where Bowie's world famous 1987 concert that helped bring down The Wall took place.
  • Alexanderplatz - the most iconic part of East Berlin and mentioned in the 2013 "Where are we now?" video.

Tuesday         Station to Station - cultural crossings and influences

  • Checkpoint Charlie, the place where Bowie and many others crossed into East Berlin.
  • Tränenpalast (palace of tears) - the site of the West-bound border crossing.
  • Friedrichstrasse - one of the only traditional areas of Berlin that stayed in the West.

Wednesday    Lodger - Bowie's and Iggy's home, hangouts, and neighborhood

  • 155 Hauptstrasse, where the magic happened.
  • A drink at Neues Uffer (formerly Anderes Uffer), with an exhibit of Bowie photos, and Bowie's and Iggy's late afternoon breakfast and early morning dinner spot (yes, you read that right).
  • Nollendorfplatz, a traditionally gay friendly area and the site of Christopher Isherwood's house.

Thursday       The Passenger - punks and exiles

  • SO36, Berlin's answer to CBGBs, the mythical punk club in which Iggy and David hung out.
  • The Dry Canal, where The Wall divided the area.
  • Café Exil (now restaurant Horváth) where Bowie was a regular when it was an immigrant/expatriate bar.

Friday            Beauty and the Beast - the other face of Berlin

  • The Friedrichshain neighborhood in the former East Berlin, now a colorful inside-out art gallery. 
  • The East Side Gallery, a 1.3 km strip of the original Berlin wall re-painted by international artists.
  • Karl-Marx-Allee, "Moscow on the Spree," with GDR architectural landmarks Kino International and Cafe Moskau

Saturday        Neuköln - from desolation to exuberance

  • A formerly desolate Turkish and Arab immigrant neighborhood where Bowie used to like to wander around aimlessly, now one of Berlin's trendiest areas.
  • Sonnenallee, a former border crossing and now a riot of turkish/arabic restaurants.
  • Tempelhof, the former US military airport and now a park bigger than two Central Parks.
  • Take in a drag show such as inspired Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging."

Sunday          Pack your memories, fly home
* schedule subject to change

What's Included

  • Three custom designed immersive interactive experiences with actors, musicians, or dancers - a Travellati Tours exclusive feature.
  • Eight nights at an intimate boutique hotel in the heart of Berlin - your home away from home.
  • All meals at a wide variety of excellent restaurants that have passed our stringent standards for delectability, gracious service, and amenities.
  • Complimentary glass of wine or beer with lunch and dinner.
  • Week-long ticket for train, metro, bus, and tram to speed you on your way.
  • Museum admissions - no waiting in line, more time to wander the museum!

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Reserving

Every tour is personal - please complete the form below and we will contact you to arrange your personalized service.