Begin this 4-hour walking tour with a central Berlin hotel lobby meet and greet with the guide. This private tour is a customized experience, so be sure to speak with the guide about any specific requests for desired attractions. Berlin boasts some of the world’s finest and most interesting architecture with many of the buildings reflecting its history. The communist-era apartment blocks of the east are a stark contrast to the modern architecture of the west, with each side demonstrating its past political ideologies. Visit Friedrichstrasse, a major culture and shopping street in central Berlin. This is the most famous street in the city, combining the tradition of the “Golden Twenties” with the architecture of New Berlin. See decorated buildings, offices and coffee shops, plus a variety of restaurants, boutiques and department stores, highlighted by Galeries Lafayette. Across town, there is the Kulturforum, a collection of cultural buildings that were built up in the 1950s and 60s at the edge of West Berlin, after many of the city's cultural assets had been lost behind the Berlin Wall. Its museums, concert halls, libraries and institutes make it one of the most important cultural sites in all of Germany. Also, there’s Gendarmenmarkt, a historic market square and the site of an architectural trio — Schinkel's Konzerthaus, a concert hall, plus the French and German cathedrals, Deutscher und Französischer Dom. There's also a statue of Germany's renowned poet, Friedrich Schiller, at the center of the square. Combined, it makes for a stunning ensemble. The tour concludes with a hotel drop-off.