Checkpoint Charlie

Checkpoint Charlie marks the site of the best-known crossing point between the American and Soviet sectors of Cold War Berlin. During the division of the city it was the only gate where foreign officials and diplomats could pass into the East, and in 1961 it was the scene of a tense standoff between American and Soviet tanks. Today a reconstructed guard booth, sandbags, and a sign warning that visitors are leaving the American sector recreate the crossing. Nearby panels and a private museum document daring escape attempts across the Wall.