Programme

Day 1

Saturday: arrival at Berlin

The Merlin will be moored in Berlin / centre, Berlin/Spandau or Berlin/tegel, which depends of the permission given by the river autorities). Check-in begins at 4 pm. During the tour you will be the guests of Henk, the captain, and  Jantien, your kind hostess. At the end of the afternoon there will be a welcoming drink on the boat and information about the boat, the tour and the bikes will be provided in English, German or Dutch.  After dinner there will be the opportunity to enjoy a town walk in the centre.  

Day 2 

Sunday: Berlin – Köpenick – Spandau

Your captain will begin this morning with a breakfast cruise through the city of Berlin. Enjoy the beautiful panorama during your two hour cruise till Köpenick, the only district of Berlin with a indipendent city tradition. During medieval times, like Spandau, Köpenick received its town charter and still conserves an interesting historic town centre. The town became famous after a true event that happened in 1906, when Wilhelm Voigt, a down-on-his-luck ex-convict shoemaker impersonates a Prussian Guards officer, holds the mayor of Köpenick to ransom, and successfully "confiscates" the town's treasury, claiming that he has done so in the name of the Kaiser. Your cycle tour will take you across the Köpenick Heath, along the ‘Müggelsee’ and the Dahme and Spree rivers. After the cycling the Merlin continues the cruise till Spandau. In the evening there is time to stroll around Spandau.  

Day 3 

Monday: Spandau – Potsdam

Today you cycle along the European cycle track through the Grunewald forest and along the Havel river crossing the Glienickerbridge. You continue till Potsdam, the provincial capital of the Brandenburg province. This town is undoubtly another pearl of Germany. Its beautiful Sanssouci castle with a marvellous garden was the residence of Friedrich the Great.The historical city quarters, the russian Alexandrowka, the dutch quarter and the former Bohemian Weaver quarters have an atmosphere of a city heavily influenced by Europe. Tonight you’re free to dine in one of the many excellent towns restaurants (non included in the price).  

Day 4 

Tuesday: Potsdam – Werder – Brandenburg

This morning the Merlin cruises to the insulare town of Werder, starting point of today’s cycle tour. Werder is surrounded by a fast number of lakes and bays on the river Havel. Strolling around Werder will lead you to water everywhere. From here you will reach quickly at the lakes of Schwielow, Glindow, Plessower, Zern and the Havel river. From Werder you continue to Marquardt and Paretz, where queen Louise enjoyed her summer vacation in the castle with nice garden. You cycle to Ketzin, a picturesque fishing village, and you cross the Havel river by ferryboat, you will travel along spacious lowlands and small “märkische” villages (villages in the typical March style) with timber-framed buildings to the cradle of the March region: the city of Brandenburg. Here are three special city areas: the historic centre, the modern town centre and the island of Dome island, where the Merlin will be moored. It is worthwhile to visit is the saint Nicolai church, one of the oldest examples of a brick building, the church of Saint Peter and Paul, the townhall, an outstanding example of late gothic brick architecture (middle of 15^th century) and the impressive tower ‘Steintorturm’, 32,5 meter tall and the only one of the four defense towers open for public visitors. From the top you have a nice view over the town of Brandenburg.  

Day 5 

Wednesday: Brandenburg – Genthin

Today our cycle route will take us to two different German federal states: Brandenburg and Saxony- Anhalt. Leaving Brandenburg we ride along the cycle path  “Tour Brandenburg“, which will lead us along the western side of the Havel lake plateau through beautiful green forest with stunning views. Here the Merlijn will take the northern route along the Silo canal and the lower Havel Waterway up to the Elbe-Havel Canal. The last stretch takes you to Genthin, also called the ‘Pearl along the Canal’. Genthin is a nice and friendly town. To the north you will find Altenplathow, a town along the Romanesque Road, a popular tourist route. It is part of the cultural route Transromanica, which runs through Germany (the federal states of Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia), Italy (the provinces of Modena, Parma and Ferrara), Austria (the state of Carinthia) and Slovenia.  

Day 6 

Thursday: Genthin – Burg – Magdeburg

We start again with breakfast on board while we cruise along the Elbe-Havel Canal till Burg Duisburg, where today’s cycle tour will start. In the city center of Burg there are 1055 years of history to be admired. It’s certainly worthwhile to visit the centre of this ‘City of Towers’ Cycling along the Romanesque Road from afar you will see the churches of Saint Nicolai (12^th century) and the “Unser Lieber Frauen” church (13e century). After your visit you continue towards Magdeburg, but before entering this lovely town, you can admire the famous Magdeburg Water Bridge, where the ships on the Elbe-Havel Canal cross the Elbe on a navigable aqueduct. Magdeburg is the capital of the federal sate of Saxony-Anhalt and was documented as early as 805. The city is well known because of its important historical heritage as the royal palace of the Emperor Otto the 1st, the first Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire crowned in 962.  Also of note are the cattedral of Magdeburg, the first German gothic Cathedral, the old market and a bronze copy of the Golden Ridder Statue (1240).  

Day 7  

Friday:  Departure after breakfast

On request there can be arranged a transfer to Berlin

Period

Starting day at Berlin  Saturday 16 and 22 June 2012 / starting day at Magdeburg 26 May or 1st June

Level 1

Easy, cycling almost always on flat country or with a few gradual slopes. The differences in altitude each day are less than 100 metres. The daily distances are not longer than 55 km

Price 2012

Per person sharing a double room € 985,00 p.p.

Participants

Minimum of two people ( a single person on request)