Everyone knows, or has heard of, Check Point Charlie. Located in the American sector, in the heart of the city, it was one of the crossing points between West and East Berlin.

Check point Bravo, Drewitz-Dreilinden, is less well known but has not disappeared; it can still be visited, at least in part.

This checkpoint was located at the south-western exit of the city, on the border with Brandenburg. For those who wanted to travel by car between West Berlin and the Federal Republic of Germany, they had to go through it.

I drove past its buildings a good ten times before finally making the diversion. There is no tourist sign to indicate the motorway exit but the buildings are clearly visible to the curious traveller.

The buildings are gradually falling into disrepair and, as is often the case in Berlin, their future is not very clear. For many years there has been no activity on this site, which has been sold as part of a redevelopment project that has not (yet?) seen the light of day.

Very photogenic with its garish colours and state of neglect, not to mention its historical interest of course.

To find the site: https://goo.gl/maps/h32e5LLDv8U11JUG6

Continuing south on the motorway, you reach Potsdam, where another historic stop is located: the Glienicke Bridge, where spies were exchanged between East and West during the Cold War.