The extensive history and rich culture of Germany’s capital inspires many to visit it again and again, one such frequent visitor-turned -resident Berliner is Jean-Pierre Andreae.  Jean-Pierre founded Premium Guide Berlin with a desire to serve as a guide and a personal host for both travellers and new Berliners, using extensive knowledge and on-going intrigue for the city to create in-depth, warm and highly personal exclusive tours of the best that Berlin and Potsdam has to offer.  Those embarking on a tour with Premium Guide Berlin can always look forward to the professional and engaging services of Jean-Pierre, serving as your personal guide to the city.
 
Jean-Pierre is an unlikely local, but the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 opened up many enthralling opportunities in the new capital, and he moved to the city to study Journalism.  With a first-hand understanding of the city’s exciting journey of development (coupled with the experience he gained during his involvement with the 2000 Olympic Games bid committee) Jean-Pierre developed his knowledge of the city and came to know it inside out, leading to his love of Berlin’s future as well its past. 
 
The Perfect Tour of Berlin
 
Premium Guide Berlin walking tours are largely focused on historical Berlin as well as the architecture that has shaped – and continues to shape – the city.  The Luxury Travel Guide took the chance to talk with Jean-Pierre about his recipe for the perfect tour. 
 
You offer six theme tours on your websiteand they are almost enthusiastically reviewed on tripadvisor.  What is your secret?
 
Thank you for mentioning the theme tours.  To be quite honest, I hardly have any bookings for the theme tours which are meant for guests who already know Berlin a bit and want to go down in detail to the era of the Third Reich or the outstanding architecture of the Museum Island.  So the great reviews on tripadvisor relate to the tours which in general are a mixture of all six themes, and usually last much longer than a theme tour.
 
So what would you recommend for your guests coming to Berlin for the first time?
 
In general all my tours are tailor-made meaning they fully are focusing on the expectations and interests of my guests.  The perfect tour in my opinion would last something between 4 to 6 hours at least and should include a break for coffee or lunch on top of Germany's Parliament building, the famous Reichstag.  However, this can only be organised if my guests make an early booking.  (For security reasons I can only make reservations there, having the full names and birthdates of all my guests.) But a walk up the spectacular glass dome is a must for Berlin visitors today.
 
Sounds quite promising, but just a six hour tour showing the historic sites of Berlin cannot be all.  There must be more to get so much appreciation?
 
I see myself in a double role: on the one hand I am the professional guide with a profound knowledge about the history and architecture of Berlin from the very past up to today, and on the other hand I want to be a perfect host.  My ambition is to make my guests feel like they have discovered Berlin rather with a friend instead with guide that starts giving a lecture about the city just because he is paid for it.  Reading the reviews I seem to be very successful making it personal.
 
How do you manage to make it a highly personal tour?
 
I combine the historic facts to my own story of growing up in West Germany and then moving to Berlin after reunification.  Additionally, I always carry a lot of pictures with me so my guests also can see the dramatic changes Berlin has lived through especially during the mid-20th Century, due to the Second World War and the Wall.  If there is time and interest I also try to include a short walk through my neighbourhood and having a quick coffee or glass of champagne at my place to give my guests the chance to get an idea of how life in Berlin can look like.  I want to avoid my guests returning to their homes having the impression that Berlin only consists of historic sites which are overcrowded by tourists.
 
Tours
 
From Alexanderplatz to the Brandenburg Gate, The Historical Berlin tour offers visitors the chance to form their own impressions of Berlin’s most cultural landmarks.  Chart 775 years of history with Jean-Pierre as he leads you through the 10 most important architectural treasures the city has to offer.  But Berlin has more than one story to tell, and like many other European cities, it has its darker legacies.  The Hitler, Speer & Germania tour uncovers the relics of the Third Reich in Berlin; although nothing remains of the New Reich Chancellery, once Hitler’s seat of power on Wilhelmstrasse, Jean-Pierre crafts a clear image of life during the fearsome regime through the buildings left behind.  History lovers can explore this theme in more depth on the Central Corridors of Power in the Berlin Republic tour and explore Berlin’s government district from the 19^th Century to the downfall of Hitler, before discovering the city’s modern government buildings on Spreebogen. 
 
All cities change and evolve as the years and decades roll by, but Berlin has undergone a radical transformation in just a quarter of century.  The Gründerzeit (The ‘Founding Era’), Take Two tour traverses the former course of the Berlin Wall; aided by helpful photographs, Jean-Pierre will transport you back to a world divided, allowing you to truly track the course of the city’s development.  For a more in-depth look at the city’s socio-political past, opt for theWorld Heritage Museum Island experience – but of course, Berlin has more to offer than grand buildings.  On the Prenzlauer Berg tour, visitors can explore the living conditions of everyday citizens.  The district of PrenzlauerBerg was once criticised for its unfit living conditions, but in recent years has developed into a trendy, up-and-coming location.  With Jean-Pierre, visitors can enjoy an exciting foray into the history of Berlin and uncover some of the most fascinating architecture imaginable. 
 
Website: http://www.premiumguideberlin.com/en/
Email: andreae@premiumguideberlin.com
Tel: 0049 151 25 37 37 37
Tripadvisor: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187323-d5772340-Reviews-Premium_Guide_Berlin_Private_Tours-Berlin.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/premiumguideberlin?fref=ts

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