About this activity
Editor's Note
Look, most of the travel industry is obsessed with "occupancy" and "RevPAR" in shiny, five-star resorts, but if we’re being honest, the real value of travel isn't always found in a cocktail on a beach. It's in the uncomfortable stuff. I’ve seen enough "cookie-cutter" city tours to know when a lead is just being sold a sanitized version of history. Sachsenhausen isn't that. It’s raw, it's heavy, and frankly, it’s a necessary slap in the face for anyone who thinks history is just something in a textbook. Some operators try to make these sites "tourist friendly," but the best way to honor the people who suffered here is to look at the grim reality of the SS machinery without the corporate polish. If you're looking for a lighthearted afternoon, this isn't it—and it shouldn't be.
About the Tour
Understanding the dark architecture of the Third Reich requires leaving the comforts of Berlin's Mitte district. This award-winning English-language tour takes you to the Sachsenhausen Memorial, a site that served as the grim blueprint for the entire Nazi camp system. Built in 1936, it was designed to be the "ideal" camp, intended to subdue any and all political opposition before expanding its reach to target anyone who didn't fit the NSDAP’s twisted ideology.
The Journey to Oranienburg
Your day begins in central Berlin. After meeting your expert guide, you’ll take a 35-minute train ride to the town of Oranienburg. The transition from the bustling city to the quiet suburbs is a poignant part of the experience, followed by a 20-minute walk that traces the same path many prisoners once took toward the memorial site.
Inside the Memorial
The tour commences at the Camp Administration Center. Today, it stands as a museum, but it once functioned as the nerve center for the Concentration Camps Inspectorate. From this single location, the SS oversaw 32 main camps and a staggering network of over 1,000 satellite camps.
During the visit, you will explore the physical remains of the camp while your guide provides the context that stones alone cannot give. You'll learn about:
- The brutal daily routines and "occupancy" levels that defied human dignity.
- The harrowing Death March of 1945.
- The site's post-war life as Special Camp 1/7 under Soviet administration.
Stories of Defiance
While the setting is somber, the narrative isn't solely one of victimhood. The tour highlights the incredible resilience and sabotage carried out by prisoners. You’ll hear about the 1942 Jewish revolt, the quiet defiance of British POWs, and the story of Yakov Dzhugashvili, Stalin’s son, who was imprisoned here.
Key Sites Visited
- Station Z: The chilling site of mass execution and the crematorium.
- The Watchtower and Gallows: Symbols of the absolute control exerted by the guards.
- Jewish Barracks & Punishment Cells: A look at the segregated and intensified suffering of specific groups.
- Pathology Laboratory & Infirmary: Locations where pseudo-medical experiments were conducted.
- Commandant's House: The domestic life of those who managed the atrocity.
This experience is designed to be educational and deeply reflective, ensuring that the stories of those who endured Sachsenhausen are never forgotten. After the tour, your guide will accompany you back to Berlin, providing space for further questions or quiet contemplation.
Highlights
- Learn about Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp before, during, and after WW2
- Be accompanied by a licensed guide from Berlin to the Memorial Site and back.
- Expereince the barracks where inmates were brutally treated
- Hear about some of the notable prisoners of the camp
- See the locations of mass murder, gas chamber, gallows.
Know before you go
- Public transport tickets need to be bought, an ABC zone ticket is required, which can be purchase from meeting point on day of tour.
- This activity entails a moderate amount of walking
- The tour runs in all weathers, so please dress accordingly
- The tour is not wheelchair accessible.
- Not recommended for individuals with limited mobility or walking impairments.
What to bring
Not allowed
Includes / Excluded
Itinerary
Starting/pickup location
Depends on the selected option
Train
(25 minutes)
Sachsenhausen Memorial
Walk (20 minutes)
Sachsenhausen Memorial
Guided tour (3 hours)
Train
(45 minutes)
2 drop-off locations:
Berlin, Reichstagufer 17