Hotels in Berlin
It appeared in 1961 without warning, and disappeared just as suddenly in 1989. Now, the very few fragments of the original Berlin Wall still in situ are themselves protected by fencing from souvenir hunters. Once an embarrassment, the Wall is now regarded as the defining icon of the reunited, reconstructed and re-born capital of Germany. Recently, Berliners completed a bike trail that follows its path for a meandering 106 km (66 mi) across the city and its suburbs. Where railway lines or reconnected streets forced long detours, tunnels and bridges now link the obstructed sections; and as nature has reclaimed the open spaces originally cleared to make a 'killing ground' along its length, the Wall is now represented by a ribbon of green in a grey urban landscape. This chilling 'death strip' was 5 to 100 m (16 to 330 ft) wide - big enough to get lost in the sprouting birch trees and thick underbrush if you miss one of the grey 'Mauerweg' ('Wall Trail') signs at intersections.
The Trail provides a privileged green access corridor to the heart of Berlin and the best of its sights and amenities. But every inch of it is also a confrontation with some of the city's - and Germany's – worst historical nightmares. Bravely, modem Berliners embrace the past as inevitable. They've rescued one piece of their history, the Brandenburg Gate, from isolated sterility in former no-man's-land, but kept the flaking concrete pillbox watchtower colunmbehind it, from which guards sniped at and killed dozens who made their pitiful dash for freedom.
The Trail helps explain how optimism triumphed over the institutionalized violence implicit in the Wall's graffiti-ed concrete and its associated artefacts. It is gut-wrenchingly successful, and a brilliant introduction to modern Berlin.
HOW
By bike
WHEN TO GO
Year-round. Berlin Wall Bike Trail guided tours are only scheduled from May-September, but can be arranged with most tour agents throughout the year. So can the information packs, bike rentals and anything else you need for a self-guided tour.
TIME IT TAKES
Four to five hours (scheduled tour), but with or without a guide. you could easily spend days or weeks refining your explorations.
HIGHLIGHTS
Just think - you're riding the path used by heavily-armed DDR Customs, Police and Army patrols 24/7 throughout the Wall's existence. About 3,200 people were arrested trying to cross it; and 270 died trying to get over, under or through it.
The wackiness of having this parkland 'highway' through a major capital city - · in it, and very much of it, but still utterly distinct from it.
YOU SHOULD KNOW
Endlessly fascinating, this is one of the great bike trails in the world, combining the exercise with the highest standard of visual, cultural and historical interest.
What it reveals about the Cold War remains a work in progress of relevance to all of us.
