Iron Curtain European Bike Tour from Berlin to Budapest

Cycle through European History

This epic Central Europe bike trip includes 5 capitals and 5 distinct cultures connected through a historic period that changed the world. It begins in Berlin where the breaking down of the Wall heralded the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. The route travels back and forth from east to west, crossing the Iron Curtain — the divide between communism and democratic capitalism, between the Soviet Union with its oppressive Red Army and the West and its allied states. The history on this tour is still palpable and unlike our other historic epic adventures, is still remembered by many of us. Take it on as a full Epic over 18 days or break it down into two parts – Berlin to Prague over 7 days or Prague to Budapest over 12 days.

Highlights

• Berlin Wall and its Checkpoint Charlie, which served as a symbol of the Iron Curtain as a whole.
• Connect 5 fascinating European capitals by bike, each with their own culture and unique cuisine.
• Cycle along the rivers and canals that thread their way through the forests that cover much of Eastern Germany.
• Follow the Oder-Neisse River along the Polish border to Görlitz, one of Germany’s most beautiful cities.
• Roll through the castle and fortress filled Czech Middle Mountains along the banks of the Elbe River.
• A rest day in Prague, a city that rivals Paris with its beauty and 1000-year history.
• The Renaissance town of Telč, a jewel of the Czech Republic and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• Sampling the world’s best beers, where almost every town has its own brewery; German wheat beers, Czech Pilsner, Austrian Lager and Hungarian ales.
• The now quiet and abandoned cold war fortifications and watchtowers that dot our route as we cross the former Iron Curtain.
• A rest day in beautiful Vienna recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site and often described as an open-air museum.
• Cycle along the Danube Bend region, one of its most scenic, where it enters steep hills, creating stunning meanders with quaint villages hugging its banks.
• Finish in Budapest, an architectural and historical treasure trove, majestically laid out along the Danube.