Tempelhof Airport's dramatic past revealed through exclusive guided tours

Tempelhof Airport: A Tour of the "Mother of All Airports"

Visitors on a guided tour of Tempelhof Airport gain fascinating insights into Europe's longest building.

December 17, 2025

It is one of Europe's longest buildings, a place steeped in history like few others, and open to the public: Tempelhof Airport, with its vast structures and expansive fields.

During the Berlin Airlift, it saved the lives of Berliners; decades earlier, it had been expanded under the Nazis' megalomaniacal ambitions; and when it closed in 2008, more than a few Berliners shed tears. Tempelhof Airport remains a unique symbol of the German capital's history.

A Place of Discovery

Nowhere else does Berlin's—and Germany's—turbulent history come to life as vividly as at Tempelhof Airport. The best way to experience it is through guided tours led by experts, many of whom worked at the airport for years and know every corner of this listed monument.

Europe's Largest Architectural Landmark

There is much to explore in Europe's largest protected building: the grand main hall, hangars, and annexes, as well as hidden spaces like bunkers, vaulted cellars, and the tunnel system beneath the airport. Visitors can also see the basketball court built by U.S. Allied forces above the former departure hall after World War II.

The "Mother of All Airports"

The tour reveals how this neoclassical structure was the first to combine all the requirements of a modern major airport. When it was built in the 1930s, Tempelhof was unparalleled—and many of its features became models for later airport designs. British architect Lord Norman Foster has repeatedly called it the "mother of all airports."

A Taste of Freedom

After the tour, a stroll across the former runway—now a sprawling park—is a must. The sheer openness is breathtaking, the horizon distant, and it's easy to see why the site is now called Tempelhofer Freiheit (Tempelhof Freedom).

Themed Tours

Tempelhof offers a variety of themed tours. "Mythos Tempelhof" explores the ideological and political background behind the airport's construction, showcasing key areas like the former check-in hall and transit corridors. The "Hidden Places" tour takes visitors through the labyrinth of cellars and tunnels, uncovering legends and myths about the airport's underground—while also tracing its dark history under National Socialism.