Bike Along the Berlin Wall Trail During the Berlin Wall Anniversary

The bike and hike trail follows the route of the Berlin Wall

Although there’s not much of the Berlin Wall left, biking or hiking on the Berlin Wall Trail is a unique adventure, especially during this year’s 20th anniversary celebration commemorating the day the Berlin Wall was torn down. The 160-kilometer trail traces the course of the former German Democratic Republic’s (GDR) border fortifications that encircled Berlin during the Cold War, until the fall of the Berlin Wall, November 9, 1989. Programs focusing on when the Berlin Wall was torn down are planned throughout much of 2009. The major celebration of the Berlin Wall’s fall is scheduled for November 7-9, 2009.

How to Bike or Hike the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall Trail runs through the city, the suburban area and the country. Much of it tracks the former patrol roads used on one side by the West German custom officers and on the other by GDR border patrols. The trail is divided into 14 parts, varying from 7- to 21-kilometers in length, so it’s easy to plan a bike ride or a walk along one section. (The beginning and end of each section is reachable by public transportation.) Along the Berlin Wall Trail there are more than 40 stations where you can learn about the turbulent years when Germany was divided into East and West, and the building and the tearing down of the wall.

Learn More About the Berlin Wall Tour

The Berlin Tourism Office also has a description of the Berlin Wall Tour on its Web site that splits the trail into section and tells readers the history they’ll be biking or hiking through during their trip. Fat Tire Bike Tours has a Berlin Wall & Cold War Bike Tour in Berlin. You can also rent bikes at the store.