Part of Berlin by Foot, this walking tour traces West Berlin’s electronic music scene of the 80s and 90s, before techno as we know it.
Curious about what connects Cafe Del Mar, Moby and Britney Spears with Derrick May, Love Parade… and the humble environs of west Berlin?
Or if you just love discovering hidden parts of the city’s history, we’d love to welcome you on this walking tour!
The route will trace the sites of former and influential electronic dance music venues in the west of Berlin during the 80s and 90s, illustrating how electronic dance music has reflected and influenced the city’s identity since the late twentieth century. Though today it is the east of Berlin that is more closely associated with its clubbing culture, this was not always the case, especially when the city was divided by the Berlin wall. In the late 1980s and even the early to mid 1990s, there were many venues in the western districts of Schöneberg, Tiergarten and Kreuzberg that held early acid house and techno parties, or even acted as after-hours venues for people to continue dancing as the sun came up. These include the historic locations of:
- UFO Dance Club
- Turbine Rosenheim
- Fischlabor
- METROPOL
- Quartier Latin
- 90 Grad
This journey through Schöneberg and Tiergarten will give participants a detailed overview and description of what the early electronic dance music scene in west Berlin would have looked like during the genre’s earliest, most formative years.
We will meet at 12:00 at U-Bahnhof Kleistpark (U7) (Hauptstraße 162, 10827 Berlin – next to “Train Cocktailbar”). The tour will begin promptly at 12:15.
Please note:
To respect the current use of these iconic buildings (many are now private offices or cafés), our walking tour focuses on the exterior architecture and the incredible stories behind these walls. Get ready for a deep dive into Berlin’s lost club culture!
A valid 24 hr AB public transport ticket (11,20 €) or two short trip tikets (2, 80 € each) are highly recommended. Some locations are easier to reach by taking the U-Bahn 1 or 2 stops.
The walking tour is accessible for people with limited ability! The relevant U-Bahn stations (Kleistpark, Eisenacher Straße, Nollendorfplatz and Kurfürstenstraße/Bülowstraße) all have lifts.
What are you waiting for? Don’t just see Berlin—experience it. Lace up your shoes and let Dr. Jonathan Weatherill-Hunt show you the city’s best-kept secrets. It’s Berlin like you’ve never seen it, complete with a complimentary copy of The Berliner magazine!
Stay in the loop! Join our WhatsApp channel for live updates, meetup info & insider tips before the tour: https://www.the-berliner.com/Berlin-by-Foot/wa-channel
