Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin border crossing in Friedrichstrasse, Germany.

Checkpoint Charlie stands at Friedrichstraße where it meets Zimmerstraße and Mauerstraße. The white wooden sentry box on its concrete island bears the black inscription "U.S. ARMY CHECKPOINT"; above it a sign repeats the words with "ALLIED CHECKPOINT" and "Friedrichstrasse", topped by a framed portrait of a uniformed soldier. A US flag flies from a pole beside the box, and a translucent canopy extends from its front.

From 1961 until 1989, this point served as the main passage between East and West Berlin for Allied forces and foreign visitors during the German division. After the barrier opened, the original booth was removed and later replaced with a replica that recalls the decades of separation.

The name Charlie comes from the letter C in the NATO phonetic alphabet, the third of the Allied checkpoints after Alpha and Bravo. On the Eastern side the GDR ran the Grenzübergangsstelle Friedrich-/Zimmerstraße, staffed by border troops who were members of the Stasi. The Café Adler, an eagle-named café right at the crossing, served Allied officials and visitors as a viewing spot.

The site sits centrally in Mitte and can be reached via Stadtmitte or Kochstraße metro stations, both a short walk away. The adjacent museum displays exhibitions about escape attempts and life at the border, while the street itself stays busy and can be visited in any weather.

In October 1961, American and Soviet tanks faced each other here for 16 hours during a diplomatic crisis that nearly escalated into armed conflict. The name itself comes from the NATO phonetic alphabet, where C stands for Charlie, simply designating the third Allied checkpoint in the city.