Start your interesting bicycle tour through the history of Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin on historic grounds at the former border crossing Bornholmer Straße, which first opened on November 9th, 1989. Today, the Platz des 9 November 1989 is located there and serves as a reminder of this big, world-changing event. Following the former course of the wall on your bike, you will cross Mauerpark (Wall Park), where on Sundays, flea markets, karaoke and musical improvisations take place. From there, you will continue to the street Bernauer Straße, which was divided from 1961 to 1989.
Afterwards, cycle along the global capital of breweries that developed during the end of the 19th century and pass through the once largest brewery in Germany (today the Kulturbrauerei) and along the tenements at Kollwitzplatz, which were illustrated by Heinrich Zille. Then, you will reach Berlin’s oldest water tower, the Dicker Hermann (Fat Hermann), completed in 1877. From here, you will cycle to the eastern quarter ofBötzowviertel where you will be able to admire the Märchenbrunnen (Fountain of Fairy Tales), a 34 times 54 meter large fountain complex that was constructed by the architect Ludwig Hoffmann in the neo-Baroque style.
You will then cycle to Velodrom, a track cycling arena and one of Berlin’s biggest concert venues, and to the Schwimm- und Sprunghalle im Europasportpark, an indoor swimming pool. Cycling past the Ernst Thälmann Monument, the tour will lead you to the Zeiss Major Planetarium, a prestigious building from GDR times. Lastly, cycle through The Palm, Berlin’s largest social building complex built in 1886 and named after a potted palm tree standing in an anteroom at the time. The building now serves as a homeless shelter and has 5,000 sleeping places in 40 dormitories.
