Berlin Historical Bike Tour: Berlin Wall and Cold War

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Memorial of the Berlin Wall, Bernauer Strasse 111, 13355 Berlin Germany

See the Memorial of the Berlin Wall, climb to the top of the Observation Deck to get a birds-eye-view of the former Death Strip

Duration: 25 minutes

Pass By: Fat Tire Tours Berlin, Panoramastr. 1a, 10178 Berlin Germany

World famous tours at Fat Tire Tours Berlin

Stop At: Alexanderplatz, 10178 Berlin Germany

One of the best-known public squares in Berlin the center of the East Berlin and East German Government.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Berliner Fernsehturm, Panoramastraße 1A, 10178 Berlin, Germany

See the TV tower, stop for pictures and explanation

Duration: 7 minutes

Stop At: Palace of Tears, Reichstagufer 17 Mitte, 10117 Berlin Germany

Called the Palace of Tears because it was often the setting for emotional family goodbyes (possibly forever), as from 1962, it was used as a departure terminal for those returning to West Germany.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Friedrichstrasse, Berlin Germany

Former checkpoint of those entering East Berlin. Now a bustling train station.

Duration: 5 minutes

Pass By: Spree, 10115 Berlin Germany

Get a lovely view of Berlin's main river.

Stop At: Park Inn by Radisson Berlin Alexanderplatz, Alexanderpl. 7, 10178 Berlin, Germany

Formerly the Interhotel Stadt Berlin, which was completed in 1970 (Interhotel used to be the state-owned hotel chain in East Germany). This is where Westerners would normally stay on overnight visits to East Berlin. It was modern and luxurious, but heavily monitored by the Stasi (Staatssicherheitsdienst – the East German Ministry for State Security).

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Marx-Engels-Forum, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse, 10178 Berlin Germany

See the monument dedicated to Marx and Engels

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Chapel of Reconciliation, Bernauer Str. 4, 10115 Berlin Germany

See the chapel made of compressed earth from the Death Strip on the location of Berlin's former Church of Reconciliation.

Duration: 25 minutes

Pass By: Ständige Vertretung, Schiffbauerdamm 8, 10117 Berlin, Germany

See the site of former West Germany's "Permanent Representation" or embassy to East Germany. Now a restaurant/ bar crammed with Cold War memorabilia

Stop At: Gunter Litfin Memorial, Kieler Str. 2, 10115 Berlin Germany

See the Memorial for the first man killed in attempt to cross the border from East to West

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Invalidenfriedhof, Scharnhorststraße 31, 10115 Berlin, Germany

Invaliden Cemetery. Visit the former Cemetery of the Prussian Army, and discuss the Cold War propaganda on display here.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Berlin Nordbahnhof, Invalidenstraße 131, 10115 Berlin, Germany

Discuss the notion of "Ghost Stations" (of which Norbahnhof was one) as part of the defenses of the Wall

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Zionskirche (Iglesia de Sion), Zionskirchplatz 14 Prenzlauer Berg, 10119 Berlin Germany

19th Century church which becomes a place where discussions that are not entirely pro-DDR start to happen. Touch on themes such as: nuclear disarmament talks, the beginning of East, German Green Movement, and even punk concerts.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Karl-Marx-Allee, 10178 Berlin Germany

A great place to end the tour with a light discussion of modern day Berlin, built in and around many East German architectural sites.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Haus des Lehrers, Alexanderplatz 9, 10178 Berlin Germany

House of Teachers. Constructed in the early 1960s, this was a strategically positioned symbol facing out onto Alexanderplatz that aimed to demonstrate that the DDR was a progressive state that was more than capable of keeping up with the West. Using strong colours, expansive forms and black, angular lines, an ideal image of a peaceful, modern socialist state was created. The result was a panorama of a youthful, industrious society living in harmony and looking confidently ahead into the future. Made from over 800,000 individual tiles, the mosaic frieze (7m x 125m) is Europe’s largest work of art.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Brunnen der Volkerfreundschaft, Am Alexanderplatz, 10178 Berlin Germany

Fountain of Friendship Among Peoples, See iconic fountain in heart of Alexanderplatz

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: The Watchtower, Berlin, Erna-Berger-Straße, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Stand along a former Death Strip

Duration: 10 minutes