Essential Berlin - Sightseeing Bike Tour

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The whole Berlin history in 2 hours

Your time is limited and you want to see and learn as much of Berlin as possible? This 2 hour sightseeing bike tour covers all major periods of Berlin´s ever changing history, connected with one essential stop for the particular epoch.

A tiny town becomes a kings residence

The Church of St Mary from the 14th century and the re-erected quarter of St Nicolai bring us to the early periods of the city, originally a fishermen and merchants settlement.

Chosen as the Brandenburg and Prussian capital, Berlin started to grow and got a baroque King´s palace, today called Humboldt-Forum.

The big Boom around 1900

Industrialisation came late but mighty over Germany and made Berlin to one of the world´s largest cities. In this so called „Wilhelminian Era“ Berlin´s typical 4 story tenement buildings with narrow back yards were built and formed a wide belt around the old town. Berlin got an efficient public transport system which is in use until today.

World War I interrupted the rapid development, although fights and destruction did not reach the capital. After 500 years the Hohenzollern Royal family lost power and the last Emperor flew to The Netherlands.

Nazis taking over power

The massive Reichsbank building comes from the Nazi dictatorship. After a wild and liberal period in the 1920s, finished by the World economic crises, Hitler took the leadership in 1933. As a result of democratic elections – once beeing the chancellor he abolished democracy within months.

We will see the place of the bookburning – end of progressive thoughts and start of the percecution of the Jews. In World War II large parts of Berlin were destroyed, especially in the center.

The socialist Experiment and the Cold War

Near Alexanderplatz we dive into the socialist period, with the 368 m high TV tower and socialist housing concepts. The city was now divided. After the Berlin Wall was built there was no access for the East Berliners to the West – until 1989, when the border was opened and the country reunified. The Brandenburg Gate, where the Berlin Wall was running along is symbol of devision and reunification at the same time.

Pretty close the new Goverment quarter was built – the glass dome of the Reichtag-Parliament building and the transparent architecture with access for everyone symbolizes the democractic and open system of today.

Berlin Highlights, short 2 hour or long 3,5 hour version bike tour?

Our 2 hour guided history tour gives you an overview of the most important periods from the 13th century until today and includes 6 to 8 stops at selected highlights.

If you want to dive a bit deeper into the Berlin Story, you can join our 3,5 hour Berlin Highlights Tour which includes Checkpoint Charlie and a leftover piece of the Berlin Wall and the former Jewish area near Hackescher Markt. 

If you are interested especially in the Berlin Wall and the Cold War, join our Berlin Wall Bike Tour.

What we see and where we stop our 2-hour Essential Berlin sightseeing bike tour

• Prenzlauer Berg with “Tennants barracks” and old water tower
• Alexanderplatz area with TV tower, Town hall from 1870, and the medieval Church of St.Mary
• Quarter of St. Nicolai – Berlin´s old town was almost completely destroyed in World War II and partly rebuilt for the 750 anniversary
• Humboldt Forum – the Baroque City Palace as it was built in 1720
• Reichsbank Building – the typical massive and intimidating Nazi architecture
• Bebelplatz – Built to celebrate the Prussian Culture and Liberalism – in 1933 place of the Nazi bookburning
• Unter den Linden – Berlin´s historic main boulevard
• Brandenburg Gate and Pariser Platz
• Reichstag and Government buildings at the Spree River

Your guide picks a smart selection of Berlin highlights that fit into the time frame – always with an eye on a safe and pleasant cycling route.