Checkpoint Charlie was the principal gateway for foreigners and diplomats between the two Berlins from 1961 to 1990. The only direct Cold War–era confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union took place right here when tanks faced off shortly after the Wall went up, nearly triggering a third world war. Alas, this potent symbol of the Cold War has degenerated into a tacky tourist trap, although the free open-air exhibit illustrating Cold War milestones is one redeeming aspect.
