Berlin, April 2008

New   Available from 1 May: The Customised WallGuide

Berlin Measured by Hand for the Multimedia WallGuide

The Berlin Wall came to epitomise the history of the Cold War and its most visible border in the heart of a divided Berlin. Even though the Wall has largely disappeared from the cityscape, year after year increasing numbers of tourists from the world over come to Berlin to see the traces of this place of remembrance for themselves. In the run-up to the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 2009, the Berlin Senate authorities have now licensed an official guide as part of their integrated Berlin Wall information campaign to be launched on 1 May 2008.

A mobile multimedia experience tracing the Wall's history

The Discovery Tours WallGuide, the first GPS-integrated tour along the Wall, provides a vivid insight into the Wall's history at key geographical locations. The explanations are all eminently accessible   ensuring a fascinating tour for all ages, for new or old Berliners, and for all visitors from all over the world.  

At present, the Antenna Audio WallGuide team is out and about measuring the Berlin inner city on foot – from the Ostkreuz station to the Victory Column, from Templehof airport to Nordbahnhof station, on little-known routes far from the main arterial roads or right through the heart of the Brandenburg Gate. In a genuinely groundbreaking project, over 80 sq. kilometres are being measured to support a new development in GPS map functionalities especially designed for walkers and bikers. As yet, no Berlin city map was designed with walkers in mind, so all the little alleyways, staircases or pathways are unmarked. But before WallGuide users can step out along these paths, the routes first have to be individually and manually recorded on site.

The handy pocket PC guide, with its attractive interface and GPS map functionality, combines a uniquely simply-to-use device with the latest technologies. The GPS function takes the users along the traces of the Berlin Wall to the five key locations in the Wall's history   at Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburg Gate, the Eastside Gallery, the Topography of Terror, and the Berlin Wall Memorial in Bernauer Strasse.

A test version of the guide is already being tried out in the Berlin inner city to ensure that the new navigation system, user-friendly interface, sound and image quality all work perfectly.

Save the Date: Official Press Conference

Together with Berlin's Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit, Antenna Audio is holding a Press Conference to present  the first GPS-supported bilingual (English/German) multimedia WallGuide.

The Press Conference is scheduled for 2pm on Monday, 21 April.

The WallGuide will also be on hand to ensure that the presentation is not just theoretical but also includes a chance to try our the new audio tour in practice. You will be receiving an invitation to the Press Conference in the next few days but are very  welcome to use the accompanying reply form to make an early reservation.

About Antenna Audio

Antenna Audio (www.antennaaudio.com) is the world’s leading provider of audio and multimedia tours, and is an innovator in mobile and cultural interpretation, including podcasts, mobile phone tours and downloadable walking tours.  Each year, more than 20 million visitors in 20 countries, experience Antenna Audio's award-winning multi-lingual productions at 450 of the world's most famous, fascinating, and frequented museums, galleries and visitor attractions. Acquired in April 2006 by Discovery Communications, Inc., Antenna Audio is now part of the leading real-world media brand on all platforms. Antenna Audio offers its museum partners unprecedented access to Discovery's expansive archives, marketing channels, and distribution networks.  For more information on Discovery Communications, please visit www.discovery.com.