On the trail of Babylon Berlin

A good starting point for a trip back in time to the Berlin of the Golden Twenties is the former silent movie theater Delphi dating from 1929, which is one of the most important film locations for Babylon Berlin. In the TV series, it depicts the famous Berlin dance hall Moka Efti, which was destroyed during the war. Today the Delphi cinema regularly hosts theater and music performances.

Today, as then, life pulsates on Alexanderplatz. The Alexander- and Berolinahaus are still in their original state, but the shady dives and cellar bars of the 1920s have disappeared. During the shooting of Babylon Berlin the square was cordoned off. For a few days, old trams and cars once again drove over the Alex, as it is affectionately known.

Berlin's Rotes Rathaus city hall on Alexanderplatz was built between 1861 and 1869. Today it is the seat of the mayor and the Senate of Berlin. In the TV series it becomes the police headquarters, referred to by everyone as "the Red Castle". Nowadays guests can visit the festival halls and exhibitions in the town hall.

Bridge, piers and wall tiles, all dating back to 1926, make Hermannplatz underground station the perfect location for filming Babylon Berlin: At the platform's kiosk, Inspector Gereon Rath repeatedly meets his informant Krawjeski. Today, Hermannplatz metro station is one of the most frequented stations in Berlin, right on the border between the districts of Neukölln and Kreuzberg.

The Bar Tausend at the Schiffbauerdamm is hip and only found by insiders. This makes it the ideal location for the wicked nightclub Der Holländer, where homosexuals and transvestites party, well hidden from the police. Even Bar Tausend is hard to find for today's party-goers, hidden under a railway bridge, behind a plain iron door without a sign.

In the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm, where the Berliner Ensemble is now based, the Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht was premiered in 1928. A century later, Babylon Berlin re-enacts said performance at the same location. But this time a shot is fired from the chandelier during the performance. The scene was a special challenge for both the director and the camera team.

Just outside of Berlin, on a hill at the Storkower Lake, the Hubertushöhe Palace is a wonderful excursion destination. The former hunting lodge has frequently been used as a film set. For Babylon Berlin the scenes of the Wannsee Academic Rowing Club were shot here, to which the film character Greta is invited.

Marble stairs and mosaics — public baths were very popular at the beginning of the 20th century. People used to go here to shower and bathe because most apartments did not have bathrooms. Thus Charlotte and Greta also share a bathtub in Babylon Berlin, filmed in the Municipal swimming pool Steglitz, which was opened in 1908 and has been empty since 2002.

In the new season of Babylon Berlin some scenes will descend once again into Berlin's underworld. The filming location was Germany's first underground railway tunnel, which the electrical equipment company "Allgemeine Elektrizitätsgesellschaft" (AEG) had built in Berlin-Wedding in 1895. The association Berliner Unterwelten has uncovered the historic track and offers regular tours through it.

The Hoppegarten racecourse, 430 hectares (1,062 acres) in size, became Germany's most important racecourse until the First World War. In the twenties it turned into a meeting place for politicians and society. It is also one of the new settings for the third season.

The Bode Museum, which has been in operation since 1904, also serves as a new film backdrop. The magnificent entrance to the large domed hall will have its own scene. Which one exactly, the Babylon fans will only find out when the new episodes are broadcast. Until then they can visit the original setting on Museum Island.