August 13, 2019
Tuesday 13th August From the Middle of Liebenwalde to the Mitte of Berlin.
August 13 Tuesday 82kms
From the Middle of Liebenwalde to the Mitte of Berlin.
A further benefit of staying at the ‘Herberge’ is the hearty breakfast of muesli, wurst and brot and lashings of coffee. Much of the route into Berlin takes us through forests and treed areas.
We head south by road and railway then turn off after the Ofer-Havel Canal and enter a forest. Following the canal we make Oranienburg, a town which held the dubious distinction of being the Nazis’ nuclear energy centre before it was it was bombed by the US Air Force, supposedly to prevent it falling into Russian hands.
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Now lots of small towns come up on the approach to Berlin. By Hennigsdorf there are more waterways and lots of little settlements of small huts with outdoor furniture and garden allotments- such a very peaceful and pretty scene, it’s hard to imagine how the violence of war touched the area in the past.
We cross the Tegler See at Spandau. Berlin airport is nearby and there’s a regular roar as airliners head skywards at what looks an amazingly steep trajectory. Signs of the city are starting to encroach- it’s exciting but slightly daunting at the same time. The idea of being able to find one’s way through the immensity of a modern city almost defies belief.
We are now into the built up part of the city and hectic traffic of every description, including cyclists, surrounds us. Our cycle path directions are for Mitte, and we are headed for cycle touring hosts some kilometres away through busy streets. There are cycle lanes, we just have to follow them and keep right. With buses on our left and cyclists all flying by at speed, the ride in becomes a whirlwind of impressions.
We stop for an aprikosen croissant and the energy gained gets us started again. We follow the Alt-Moabit to Invalidenstrasse (so named after hostel erected in 1748 by the order of King Frederick II of Prussia, the Invalidenhaus , which served the veterans who fought in the Silesian Wars), Heerweg to eventually arrive at our destination, a block of appartments with a handy Netto on the ground floor corner. Franca and Christian are wonderfully welcoming- great to have smiling human faces after our hectic ride in. We also meet 10 month old Liam and Enzo, part Jack Russell and part something undetermined. We share dinner and a chat, have a warm shower and head for bed. We’ve reached Berlin at the end of the Copenhagen- Berlin cycleway!
Today's ride: 82 km (51 miles)
Total: 782 km (486 miles)
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