More about: Day Trips to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp from Berlin
During World War II, the Nazis built many internment camps throughout Europe, but among them all, the one considered the ideal prototype for embodying the ideals of the National Socialist regime was the Sachsenhausen concentration camp.
After the harsh events that took place in the camp during those years, the Sachsenhausen concentration camp was transformed into a memorial in honour of the victims of barbarism, so that these terrible events would never be repeated. Here's how to visit it with the best excursions.
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Day Trip from Berlin
Visit Sachsenhausen, a Holocaust memorial
This excursion includes admission to the Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum and the services of a local guide who will tell you all about the history of this terrible place.
With this excursion to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, which starts in Berlin, you will travel with a guide to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp by public transport. During the journey, the guide will tell you about the Nazi concentration camp system and give you all the details about the history of this terrible and dark place.
Once in Sachsenhausen, you will visit the roll call square, the barracks, the pathology department, the Zeilenbau (Gestapo prison), the extermination centre and the crematorium, during a tour in which the guide will tell you stories about the daily life of the prisoners, the torture and the punishments. You will also learn about the last days of this concentration camp and its use after the Second World War by the Soviets.
Recommended if... you want to discover Sachsenhausen but don't have much time to plan your visit on your own.
What are the excursions to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp like?
The Sachsenhausen concentration camp is considered one of the must-see attractions for anyone travelling to Berlin. Organised tours are the most comprehensive and popular option for visiting the site. Here's more about what these tours involve:
What does this excursion consist of?
This is a 6-hour excursion to Sachsenhausen to learn about the history of this place, the type of prisoners it held and their harsh living conditions, accompanied by an expert guide (accredited by the memorial itself). It held around 60,000 prisoners, of whom more than 12,000 did not survive.
In addition, this walking tour will show you the most important sites in the camp, such as barrack 38, the punishment cells, the central courtyard and the infirmary where human experiments were carried out on the inmates.
During the visit, you will also hear several testimonies from survivors, see some images of the camp taken by the SS, as well as secret documentation found at the end of the war.
Why take this guided tour
I definitely recommend taking this tour of Sachsenhausen with a guide rather than going on your own, mainly because you won't have to worry about getting tickets and you'll have a professional guide to answer your questions and provide historical context for what you see in the camp, which is quite useful in a place like this.
Other excursions to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp
In addition to the classic tours, there are other excursions that combine Sachsenhausen with Berlin or Potsdam, or that offer a more complete and personalised experience. These alternatives allow you to tailor the visit to your interests and pace.
Combined excursion: Berlin, Sachsenhausen and Potsdam
This combined excursion includes a bus tour of Berlin, admission to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp and a guided tour of Potsdam. Over the course of around 7 hours, you will see the main monuments of the German capital, explore the camp and stroll through the gardens of Sanssouci Palace and Cecilienhof Palace.
- Recommended if... you are looking for a comprehensive option that combines history, culture and architecture in a single day.
Private excursion to Sachsenhausen
On this private tour, you will spend 4 to 6 hours exploring Sachsenhausen with an expert guide just for you. You can request pick-up from your accommodation and get an in-depth look at the site with detailed explanations at your own pace.
- Recommended if... you prefer a more intimate and personalised visit, focused exclusively on the concentration camp.
What you'll see on a tour of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Because Sachsenhausen was almost completely dismantled in the 1950s, most of the concentration camp is empty and little remains of the original infrastructure. However, many parts were rebuilt following the models used by the Nazis and with the same materials to give them greater authenticity and accuracy.
- Tower A: the watchtower through which you enter the concentration camp.
- Barracks 38 and 39: these were the buildings where Jewish prisoners were crammed together. You can see the reconstructions of the bunk beds and washbasins that were made later based on the testimony of survivors. Today it forms part of the Resistance Museum.
- Punishment cells: this was the camp prison. The most important prisoners were locked up here and the Gestapo carried out brutal punishments.
- Kitchen and laundry: two barracks with permanent exhibitions on Sachsenhausen.
- Firing pit, gas chambers and mass grave: places where the Nazis murdered prisoners and later buried them.
- Infirmary and morgue: this was where human experiments were carried out on inmates and where some of the corpses were stored.
- Tower E: this tower has an exhibition on the relationship between Oranienburg and Sachsenhausen.
- Central courtyard: this was where the Nazis forced prisoners to stand in formation for long hours exposed to rain, cold and heat, or where public executions by hanging took place.
- Monuments: there are several memorials in the camp dedicated to the victims, such as the Soviet memorial, the one in the central courtyard, the plaques dedicated to the Spanish prisoners and the monument next to the former gas chamber to all those murdered in Sachsenhausen.
Why is it worth taking a trip to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp?
Given its proximity to Berlin, a trip to Sachsenhausen from Berlin will allow you to delve into a tragic episode in European history, empathise with the suffering of many people and reflect on what happened here so that it never happens again. What's more, if you like history, you will see one of the most important places in the development of World War II with your own eyes.
However, you should bear in mind that this is a very difficult visit. Before joining this tour, you should prepare yourself mentally for what you are going to see and hear here. There will be moments when you will feel a lump in your throat and goose bumps as you walk through this place and imagine the atrocities that were committed here.
For this reason, I must warn you that the tour of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp may not be suitable if you are a very sensitive person. In fact, children under the age of 12 are not recommended due to the harsh nature of the exhibits.
The history of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Nazi Germany designed this place as the ideal prototype for embodying the ideals of the National Socialist regime and it even housed the central administration office for the other concentration camps. It began as a detention centre and labour camp for political prisoners, but the Nazis soon began to intern people they considered inferior because of their race, religion or other characteristics.
During the time Sachsenhausen was operational (1933-1945), thousands of people were subjected to forced labour, torture, starvation, human experiments and ultimately extermination.
After the concentration camp was liberated by the USSR, Sachsenhausen became a special camp for the Soviet secret service and another detention centre for prisoners from the GDR. Since 1993, it has been a memorial to the victims of that era.
Plan your visit to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Where is it?
Straße der Nationen 22, 16515, Oranienburg,
How to get there
These tours do not include transport to Sachsenhausen, given the camp's proximity to Berlin, so you can easily get there on your own. Here are the transport options available:
- By train from Berlin: Take the S1 line (S-bahn Wannsee towards Oranienburg) at Berlin Friedrichstraße station and get off at Oranienburg station, which is the last stop. You will need a valid ticket for zones ABC. Trains run every 20 minutes and the journey takes about 45 minutes.
- **To Sachsenhausen from Oranienburg train station: You can walk 20 minutes to the concentration camp (don't worry, the way is well signposted) or take buses 804 (towards Malz) and 821 (towards Tiergarten) from the station exit, which will take you to the memorial.
- By car from Berlin: Take the A111 motorway to Hamburg. When you reach Oranienburger Kreuz, take the A10 towards Prenzlau and exit at Birkenwalder. Then take the B96 towards Oranienburg and, once there, follow the signs for "Gedenkstätte" to Sachsenhausen. The journey takes about 50 minutes.
Opening hours
Open daily:
- From 15 March to 14 October: 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- From 15 October to 14 March: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The museums are closed on Mondays.
What should I bring with me for a trip to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp?
- This place is large and you will have to walk a bit between the different points of interest, so I recommend wearing comfortable shoes. As for clothing, since this is a visit to a memorial, I recommend wearing formal attire out of respect.
- You can take photos in the concentration camp, so there's no problem bringing your camera, but remember that Sachsenhausen is a memorial to the victims of Nazism, so please be considerate when taking photos.
- For the return journey to Berlin, I recommend bringing a bottle of water and some snacks in case you get hungry.
Other excursions you may like
If you would like to go on more excursions during your trip to Berlin, take a look at the best tours and excursions from Berlin, where you will find more ideas to make the most of your getaway. Among others, you can take a trip to Potsdam from Berlin. And if you want to delve deeper into history, you can take a tour of Berlin's Jewish quarter.