West meets East Germany tour

Day 1: Wolfsburg – overnight dock

Afternoon check in – Drop off your luggage and cross the canal via the bridge. There, you will find ‘Autostadt’: the home of Volkswagen. You can explore the museum on your own, and later there will be a 45 min. guided tour through the park.

After your visit you are welcomed on board, and Merlijn will set sail! We will show you your state-room, offer a welcome drink and introduce the crew. We’ll also inform you about the tour and the ship, and give you a safety briefing. We will dine during the cruise and then moor at a remote location, which at first glance does not seem particularly noteworthy, but looking back at history, it is. This was the border between former West and East Germany, where ships had to clear customs.

Note: For the car and technique lovers, we can recommend a morning arrival at Volkswagen Autostadt and spend the full morning at the facility before we welcome you aboard. We recommend arriving no more than one night in advance, as Wolfsburg does not have many other cultural attractions to offer.

Day 2: overnight dock – Magdeburg. Bike tour: 45-50 km

We will start with a sailing breakfast, Your guide will tell you all about cycling in a group and the traffic rules of Germany. Merlijn is soon to arrive to a quiet docking place, the perfect start for your first bike tour. The tour today will take you to Magdeburg, where Merlijn awaits. Our berth is on the Midland Canal & Elbe waterway junction at a fair distance from the city. In the evening, there will be an after-dinner walk to the old ship lift and the new ‘Rothensee’ lock. Make sure you get plenty of rest because there will be a visit to the city the following day!

Day 3: Magdeburg – Genthin. Bike tour: 35-40 km or extend to 50-55 km

After breakfast, you will ride your bike to the city of Magdeburg, which is the capital of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt. The city of Magdeburg is well known for its important historical heritage and the royal palace of Emperor Otto I, the first Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, crowned in 962. Enjoy this city in our modern time, and visit some of the various attractions on offer:

• Magdeburg Cathedral, the first cathedral designed and built in the Gothic architectural style on German soil, and one of the largest churches in Germany.
• Old Market square with the Golden Rider Statue, a gilded bronze copy of the first free-standing equestrian statue north of the Alps, which can be found right in the heart of the city centre. It was created in the year 1240 and presumably portrays Emperor Otto I.
• Old City Hall, the Hundertwasser Haus, green citadel and many more places of interest.

After lunch, the bike tour will really get started. On the way you can see the famous Magdeburg Water Bridge, where the ships on the Elbe-Havel Canal cross the Elbe on a navigable aqueduct. After admiring this hydrological piece of art, you can choose to board Merlijn or continue cycling a bit more. Afternoon we sail on to Genthin, where we’ll stay overnight.

For the real culture lovers, we suggest leaving your bike on board and spending the entire day in Magdeburg.   We can help you arrange transfers to the city and back to Merlijn.

Day 4: Genthin – Brandenburg. Bike tour: 50-55 km, or shorten to 25-30 km

After breakfast, your bike tour will start. Genthin’s governing mayor calls his town “The Pearl along the Canal“, a nice, friendly, and quiet town with a small historical centre. Today you will take your bicycle through two different German federal states: Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg. Just to the north of Genthin, you will find a part of the Romanesque cultural route Transromanica, which runs through Germany, Italy, Austria and Slovenia. In 2007, Transromanica was proclaimed ‘Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe’.

On your way to Brandenburg, you will bike along the “Tour Brandenburg“ cycle path, which will lead you along the western side of the Havel Lake Plateau. Here, the Merlijn will take the northern route from the Elbe-Havel Canal along the lower Havel Waterway and the Silo Canal up to the Havel. Your bicycle tour will take you through endless forests with numerous “green” views. In the evening, you can enjoy a stroll through the city of Brandenburg, the cradle of the March region, where we will stay overnight.

Day 5: Brandenburg – Potsdam. Bike tour: 45-50 km

We start off by spending a little more time discovering the city of Brandenburg and it’s historical center. Maybe have a look at the St. Peter Cathedral, or the Steintorturm: this defence tower is 32.5 metres in height, and is the only defence tower in Brandenburg open to the public. Last but not least there’s the old Town Hall, an outstanding example of late Gothic brick architecture from the mid-15th century.

After this visit, we will start cycling. Travel along spacious lowlands and spot some small “Märkische” villages (villages in the typical March style with timber-framed buildings). Soon we will approach Paretz, where Queen Louise enjoyed her summer resort, both in the local castle and Paretz Park.

We continue our trip to the insular city of Werder, the city of blossoming trees, which marks the end of today’s bike tour. From here, we cruise on together towards Potsdam.

Day 6: Potsdam extra day. Bike tour: 20-40 km

Potsdam, the capital of the Brandenburg province, is without doubt one of the most beautiful cities of Germany. For this reason, we have scheduled an extra day and night in this city. Merlijn will stay in port, offer you many options to spend the day on your own or with the group. Culture lovers can visit this historic city all day, water sports fans can enjoy one of the many lakes around Potsdam or just relax on Merlijn’s terraces! And of course your guide will organize a bike tour for the ones who like, cycling distance will be determined on the spot according to the abilities of the group.

Potsdam’s culture:

The best-known attraction is Sanssouci Castle (its name means ‘without concerns’). In addition to this former summer residence of Frederick the Great, with its famous Sanssouci Park (entrance included), there are many other interesting attractions that are certainly worth a visit, such as the historical city quarters, the Russian colony Alexandrowka, the Dutch Quarter, and the former Bohemian Weaver Quarters, exuding the atmosphere of a city heavily influenced by Europe.

In addition to its abundant culture, you’ll also discover the regional cuisine in one of Potsdam’s many restaurants, on your own.

Day 7: Potsdam – Berlin/Spandau. Bike tour 30-40 km

Today we will follow the European Cycling Track over the Glienicker Bridge, along the Havel River up to Spandau. At this bridge you’ll cross the former West-East border once more.

Spandau is one of the twelve boroughs (Bezirk) of Berlin. It is the fifth and western-most borough, situated at the confluence of the Havel and Spree rivers, and along the western bank of the Havel. In the evening there will be a festive farewell dinner served onboard.

Day 8: Berlin/Spandau

After breakfast, it is time to say goodbye and continue your European trip, or leave for the airport.