Berlin Wall Cycle Path

Arrive early, it is worth it. Visit palace Sanssouci, the summer residence of Frederick the Great, the Russian colony Alexandrowka, the Dutch quarter and the former Bohemian weaver quarter. And the well-known film park Babelsberg, excursion boats and many parks are looking forward to your visit too.

First you cycle to famous Glienicker Bridge, where the USA and the Soviet Union exchanged spies in times of Cold War. Past palace Cecilienhof, where the spreading of Berlin and Germany into occupied zones was agreed in summer 1945 you cycle to Lake Wannsee and Sacrow. By ferry to Kladow. At Groß-Glienicker Lake you can visit an original piece of the wall. Just before Spandau you should stop at fort Hahnenberg which was built in 1888 as protection for the armament centre in Spandau. Look forward to citadel city Spandau with worth-seeing old city.

In the morning you cycle through Spandauer Forst, former GDR restricted area which was nominated in 2000 to a “nature reserve of European importance”. Along the Nieder-Neuendorfer-canal a detour to the 1000-year-old gigantic oaks is worth it. Past Lake Laßzinsee you cycle to the bank of river Havel. The listed watch tower Nieder Neuendorf (built in 1987) served as observation tower of this section and was the guidance point for 18 further towers.  Today this tower accommodates a documentation centre about the division of Germany and its watch towers. In Hohen Neuendorf you can enjoy the rest of this great bike day.

The Berlin Wall cycle path leads you today through the nature reserve „Tegeler Fließtal“, a rural swampland. A detour to Lübars is worth it, it is the only preserved village in the urban area. Along the disused Heidekraut track and past the marsh quarter you cycle towards the centre of Berlin. Explore the Bösebrücke and Bornholmer Straße, well-known as villages where the first opening of the boarder on 9th of November 1989 took place, the memorial Bernauer Straße, where refugees tried to escape from the houses through the windows on 13th of August 1961 and cemetery Invalidenfriedhof through where the Wall proceeded. Be astonished about the new main train station and the parliament- and government district. You reach Brandenburg Gate, the magnificence boulevard “Unter den Linden” and the Potsdamer Platz – during GDR times no man’s land. Overnight in the centre of Berlin.

Along the main quarter of the secret police you cycle to Checkpoint Charlie in Friedrichsstraße – between 1961 and 1990 one of the most famous border crossing. It was only allowed for military- and embassy relatives, foreigners, employees and the representation of the federal republic of Germany as well as GDR officers to use this check point. Within a few kilometres you reach the river with the East Side gallery in Mühlenstraße: in 1990 artists from all over the world painted 1, 3 km of the wall with impressing pictures. Via the Oberbaumbrücke (bridge) from 18th century you cycle to the Landwehr canal, Heidekampgraben and Teltow canal to Neukölln and Schönefeld.

Along the southern end of Berlin the route leads via Gropiusstadt to Marienfelde which accommodated until 1990 more than 1.3 million GDR-refugees in a collective point. Today there is a memorial and a museum. Within short time you reach a 110 hectare big military prohibited zone where the US army practised until the beginning of the 1990´s. Afterwards you continue along the beautiful Teltow canal and Königsweg to the former check point Dreilinden. Along Lake Griebnitzsee you cycle back to Potsdam.

After breakfast this exciting bike tour along the tracks of young german history finds its end.