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Berlin Guides Association

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We’re the official association of professional tour guides in #Berlin.

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Earlier this year, a group of members from the Berlin Guides Association visited Deutsche Welle’s main TV studios in the Berlin district of Wedding. Our members were given an exclusive tour of the station and learned about DW’s history, its news coverage, and how it distributes its information around the world. With its radio studios in Bonn and its TV studios in Berlin, DW has a worldwide network of correspondents in places such as London, Washington D.C., Beirut, Chennai, Warsaw, New Delhi and Istanbul, and its online and radio services generate over 337 million users every week. It was a very special and exciting peek behind the curtain of an important news network! #deutschewelle #berlinguidesassociation #learnhistory by @guidesberlin

The thermometer is hitting 40°C in Berlin today and tomorrow.

To all our colleagues pushing through tours on the pavement this weekend, good luck. It is brutal out there. Look after yourselves and your groups, keep to the shade, and take it slow.

We are an established organization with more than 140 certified guides. Are you a guide in Berlin and want to join? Link in the bio. by @guidesberlin

Heather Mae Ellis, president of the Berlin Guide Association (BBS), out early this morning at Otto-Lilienthal-Park, catching the cherry blossoms before the crowds moved in. At that hour, the place feels almost like a different city.

If you’re in Berlin during the blossom season, these spots are worth knowing: – Bösebrücke and the cherry blossom avenue along Bornholmer Straße
– TV-Asahi-Kirschblütenallee in Teltow, along the former border strip
– Gardens of the World in Marzahn
– Mauerpark and Volkspark Prenzlauer Berg
– Lohmühlenpark in Kreuzberg
– Otto-Lilienthal-Park, if you time it right

The Berlin Guide Association (BBS) is a network of over 130 professional guides. We regularly organize excursions, training, and activities like this for our members. If you’re a guide in Berlin and not yet part of the association, you’re welcome to apply. by @guidesberlin

A recent visit to one of Moabit’s most impressive public buildings: the #Kriminalgericht on Turmstraße.
Built between 1902 and 1906, it opened as the Königliches Criminalgericht. The initials still visible in the floor, KCG, refer to that original name. At the time, it was considered one of Berlin’s most modern court buildings, with its own power station, water supply, lifts, central heating and telephone system.

As members of BBS – Berlin Guides Association, we had the chance to visit the building as a group, one of many activities offered to our members beyond day-to-day guiding.
With more than 130 members, BBS regularly creates opportunities to explore Berlin together, exchange knowledge and experience places that are not usually accessible in this way.

Interested in joining us? Become a member of BBS and take part in activities like this. by @guidesberlin

What are some of your favourite things about Berlin?

From a Berlin tour guide and proud member of the Berlin Guides Association @guidesberlin

#ihavethisthingwithberlin #berlinguide #exploreberlin by @guidesberlin

Arm aber Sexy.
Old phrase. Still relevant.

Berlin ranks lowest in wealth per resident among Germany’s six largest cities.
And sometimes, winter makes that visible.

January 2026 was the coldest here since 2010.
Challenging conditions, yes. As professional guides, we kept going.

Not postcard pretty.
But very much Berlin.

We are the Berlin Guides Association, with more than 130 professional members.
If you are a professional guide and not yet part of it, get in touch. Link in bio by @guidesberlin

Our end of Year Recap | Berlin Guides Association (BBS)

As we close the year, we want to take a moment to reflect on how much BBS has grown.
Today, the Berlin Guides Association brings together more than 130 certified guides, a number that still surprises us. What makes this even more exciting is that several new guides are already preparing to join in early 2026.
Over time, BBS has developed from a small professional network into a strong, active association within Berlin’s guiding community. Exchange, shared standards, and mutual support continue to shape what we do and how we work together.

Earlier this month, we came together to mark the end of the year. The photos in this post were taken at that meeting and reflect the energy and sense of community that continue to drive the association forward.

If you work as a guide in Berlin and would like to be part of a professional, engaged community, applications for new members are open.
More information via the link in our bio. by @guidesberlin

On Monday, we went back to the Bundesrat for our second excursion.
We talked about the history of the building, how the Bundesrat works, and why it matters. In short: this is where the 16 German federal states are represented and where many national laws are discussed and approved. We also had the chance to walk through the building on a guided tour.
Visits like this are just one example of the free activities we organize at the Berlin Guides Association: access to places you don’t usually see, learning beyond the classic tour routes, and staying curious about the city we work in.
A big thank you to the Bundesrat team for the warm hospitality, friendly atmosphere, and professional guidance throughout the visit.
If you’re a guide in Berlin and not yet a member, you can apply via our website.
Link in bio. by @guidesberlin

A few weeks ago we spent the day in Eisenhüttenstadt, a place that still feels like a living archive. Built as the first planned socialist city in the DDR, Eisenhüttenstadt was designed as a model of urban order, social structure and architectural clarity. Today the city remains remarkably intact. Entire neighborhoods stand almost untouched, beautiful in their symmetry and light, yet marked by a sense of absence. Population numbers continue to decline and the result is a city that feels like an open air museum to another time.

Our visit began with a guided city tour by @tor.eisenhuettenstadt . Walking the streets with someone who lives and breathes this history changes everything. If you were to explore the city alone, you would miss large parts of what shaped it and the stories that hold it together. For our members these experiences were fully included as part of the visit.

We continued to the @museum_utopia , which preserves the everyday objects, ideals and contradictions of the socialist city. It is a compact museum, but with an impressive ability to bring the past into clear focus.

In the evening we visited @aktivist_restaurant a restaurant designed in full DDR style, from the furniture to the atmosphere. The food was very much in line with the period, but with one unexpected detail: a small service robot helping to deliver the plates. A charming moment that made the contrast between past and present even sharper.

Thank you to the Tourist Information Eisenhüttenstadt, the Museum Utopia and Restaurant Aktivist for the hospitality and excellent hosting throughout the day. This was a thoughtful, complex and very rewarding visit for our members. These days and activities are mostly all covered by the association for our members. If you're a city guide in Berlin and still didn't join, feel free to get in touch by @guidesberlin

A bloody dispute over Currywurst 🌭🍛

Berlin or Duisburg? Germany’s most famous sausage is at the center of a heated debate.

📍 On September 23, 2025, Duisburg unveiled a new plaque claiming that local butcher Peter Hildebrand — known as “Peter Pomm” — had already served sausages with tomato sauce and curry powder back in 1936.

Researchers even point to an invoice for curry powder dated before 1940, suggesting the spice was used in the Ruhr area years earlier.

Berlin, however, still has strong evidence on its side: Herta Heuwer’s 1949 recipe, the registered “Chillup” trademark from 1959, and a commemorative plaque in Charlottenburg.

Now, two cities officially claim to be the birthplace of Currywurst.
What do you think — Team Berlin or Team Duisburg? by @guidesberlin

📣 Just released: the 2025 Rick Steves Berlin guide — and we’re in it!

For those who don’t know him: @ricksteveseurope is one of the most respected travel writers in the world. His books and shows have guided millions through Europe with a focus on meaningful, independent travel.

We’re proud to share that in the new edition, he not only recommends several of our members by name — he also highlights our association as the go-to resource for booking professional guides in Berlin.

✨ Featured BBS members:
@virtual_berlin_tours (Nick Jackson)
@leetheberlinguide (Lee Evans)
@exploreberlin erlin Jessica Cartwright
@berlinexperiences (Matt Robinson)
Jim McDonough
@rehberhasim (Haşim Anik)
@theberlinexpert (Jeremy Minsberg)
@elements.of.food (Itay Novik)

Rick writes:

“Most of these guides belong to an association called Bündnis Berliner Stadtführer, which is a great source for connecting with even more guides.”

With over 120 members today, the BBS is Berlin’s largest independent network of certified guides — passionate, multilingual, and deeply rooted in the city.

🖥 www.berlinguidesassociation.com
#RickSteves #RickStevesBerlin #BerlinGuide #BBSguides #BerlinTravel #VisitBerlin #MyGruni #BerlinLocalGuide #SlowTravel #IndependentGuides #BerlinHistory #BerlinTour #LicensedGuide #ExploreBerlin #BerlinWalks by @guidesberlin

Behind the Curtains of Berlin's Art Deco Gem

Last week, our BBS excursion took us deep into the heart of Berlin’s cultural heritage – from the halls of the Kammergericht to the velvet seats of the Renaissance Theater.

At the Kammergericht, we explored the history and role of Berlin’s highest regional court. Even though photography inside was limited, the experience left a strong impression.

But the real spotlight fell on the Renaissance Theater – Europe’s only surviving Art Deco theater.
First glimpse of Europe’s only surviving Art Deco theater – right here in Berlin.
Inside, a masterpiece above greeted us: a chandelier that sets the tone for elegance and history.
Stepping into a time capsule – the view from the seats is as striking as the stage itself.

Our BBS group explored the building’s story, guided by a passionate expert.
Our BBS group exploring the story behind the façade – with a passionate guide at the helm.
From subtle ceiling designs with strong identity to playful yet refined lighting fixtures, every element reflected the spirit of the era.
Even the lights are storytellers.
And just when we thought we’d seen it all, a golden surprise waited on the wall –
A hidden gem: Art meets drama in every corner.

Thanks to everyone who joined, and to our generous hosts for letting us peek behind the curtains.

#bbsberlin #berlinguidesassociation #artdecotheater #renaissancetheater #berlingeschichte #berlinguides #myberlin by @guidesberlin