Hello to Berlin: the Brandenburg Gate

A secret to unlocking at least two north European capitals, Berlin and Amsterdam, is the bicycle. Amsterdam is famous for the two-wheeler, but with Berlin, you think of the Wall, then of no Wall, Norman Foster’s cupola on the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, perhaps Italy vs France in the 2006 World Cup Final (with Zidane’s entertaining head-butt)—but bikes?

Most of the city’s streets are, for a start, laid out with ample bike lanes. Cycling down Straße des 17 Juni through the Brandenburg Gate, on to Unter den Linden and up into Prenzlauer Berg is one of the most endorphin-inducing pleasures Germany can offer. Bikes for hire are plentiful.

Berlin is stretched out but flat, which makes cycling fun and the best way to see things. In the west, you can play vélo-boulevardier through Schöneberg, with a café or Kneipe (pub) on every corner. Try