A day in Berlin and more
Hello and greetings from Berlin,
just arrived today for my annual bike touring trip. I will be here for one week and the plan is to cycle on EuroVelo 7 from Berlin to Dresden and then a bit further to Usti nad Labem in Czech Republic where I left off last year. After finishing EuroVelo 6 in 2016 and falling in love with the EuroVelo network, last year I decided to continue with what was the next logical step for me, EuroVelo 7 :). But to be honest with you was more than just that, actually EV7 is crossing Europe from North to South, while EV6 crosses the continent from Est to West. I've chosen the intersection point between the two located in Linz, Austria as my starting point last year. Also called the sun route, EuroVelo 7 connects the northern point of Europe, Cape North in Norway with the southern point of the continent in Malta, along 7400 km passing through 9 countries and 5 capitals.
My plan is to discover and see it all together with you.
But let's begin this year in Berlin and what I propose you is to start with a guided bike city tour with a company called Fat Tire Tours Berlin. I found them to be very popular in Berlin with more than six thousand good reviews on TripAdvisor, being voted #2nd experience in the world 2018 trip advisor travellers' choice, which was good enough for me to decide.
And indeed was a good choice! If you don't have to much time at your disposal, I think a city bike tour is the best choice to discover the city highlights and a bit of its history, all in just couple of hours, plus having some fun on the side. Our guide Alex, a canadian guy who came to study in Berlin was both well documented and funny.
Here are some pictures I took during this 3h tour from several key sites, such as the Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate and Museum Island:
Berlin TV tower
The tower was constructed between 1965-69 by the government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It was intended to be both a symbol of Communist power and of Berlin.
With its height of 368 metres (including antenna) it is the tallest structure in Germany, and the second-tallest structure in the European Union. It also serves as a viewing tower with observation deck including a bar at a height of 203 metres, as well as a rotating restaurant (source Wikipedia).
Alte Bibliothek, Humboldt University Library
St. Hedwigs-Kathedrale
Book burning memorial at Bebelplatz
20,000 books went up in flames here on 10 May 1933 by the Nazis.
"Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings" - Heinrich Heine, 1820
Sadly it became true 113 years later.
Berlin's Deutscher Dom
Division of Germany after WWII - sketch by Alex our guide :)
Checkpoint Charlie - landmark boundary marking east & west Berlin
Remains of the Berlin Wall
Sketch of one true escape over the Wall
Old Berlin Wall watch tower
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust)
It consists of a 19,000 m2 site covered with 2,711 concrete slabs, arranged in a grid pattern on a sloping field (impressive and emotional to see), source Wikipedia.
Brandenburg Gate
The Bundestag, German federal parliament
Paul-Löbe-Haus is a function building of the German Bundestag
Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Haus
Altes Museum (antiquities collection)
Berlin Cathedral 1905
Hope you enjoyed this post, I'll write more this week as we are following the EuroVelo7 route from Berlin to Potsdam and further south to Dresden.
"Every person is a new door to a different world". Unknown
©Discover EuroVelo
@discovereurovelo, great post!
Here in the United States, in Northern California along the Pacific Ocean, we also have Humboldt University. 10+ years ago it was one of the best blends of marijuana in the country! Obviously times are different now and everyone keeps their judge mallets in their pocket so quality weed is abundant!
Fascinating about the book burning! This guy here, predicting the future.. howcome ive never heard of him until now?!
And lastly, that big huge tower you pictured first, 4 years to build that thing?! Ya it was definitely government money on that project! Had it been private money, it wouldn’t been erected and operational in 5 months! laugh out loud.
Great post!
Hermosas fotos, te felicito @discovereurovelo, se ve que disfrutaste tu visita guiada en bicicleta. Un abrazo
Thanks for following up on those featured, @celinavisaez. I am very grateful.
Very good posts, friends, continue my friend will help you and you will help me. Thank you friend
You are bike touring all these places!? Wonderful.
I am going feature this post in the next Xposed Curator's Rebound #55. You may find details about it Xposed Curator's Rebound
My hope is to bring your quality work here the exposure it deserves, and with it, hopefully some additional rewards.
Best wishes, @mirrors
Thank you @mirrors!
Thanks for sharing them! Such a wonderful story!!!
Ren
Awesome photos and awesome plan! I feel honored you included my homeland, Czech Republic, in your itinerary but I hope you will make it further than to just Usti nad Labem as we have much more beautiful (and biking friendly) areas in my country :) I would recommend places like the Sumava Mountains, Czech Switzerland, Jeseniky Mountains, Palava Region, Beskydy Mountains etc. Have fun and stay safe on your epic journey my friend!
Thank you, would love that but my time is limited this year and I need to stick to the plan. May be sometime in the future.
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STOPLovely post... all pictures are beautiful. I enjoyed journey with you. Would wait for your next post.😊
Thanks @shanu for following up on and supporting those who are featured. I am very grateful.
Anytime😊
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