Part Two of a twelve-day cycling journey from the birthplace of the Pilsner to the Nordic capital of Copenhagen. Read Part One — The Czech Pours first.
Day 4: Frühjahrsmarkt
Route: Děčín, CZ > Meißen, DE
47.12 mi | Germany entry day
Breakfast was included in the previous night’s stay — normal European fare that had been serving me well. Today would be my last day in the Czech Republic, and I already knew I was going to miss it.
The Elbe cuts a canyon through this stretch of the border. Cliffs tower above the small hamlets dotting the river’s edge, and every few miles or so a small biergarden appears — serving meals, beer, and coffee to whoever happens to be passing through. Europe knows how to have a gezellige time.
As I approached Dresden, I noticed a busy street visible through the arches of the railway trusses and decided to investigate. Much to my surprise, the Dresdner Frühjahrsmarkt — the Dresden Spring Market — was in full swing, with music provided by the German rock band Apollo Universe. I spent the next few hours wandering the market, visiting the various stalls, listening to the music, and making small talk with the beer vendors offering local craft from Adler Brauerei Coswig and Lohrmanns Brew.
On a side note: I managed to impress a few locals with my ability to navigate two open beers while simultaneously pushing my loaded bike through the crowd. Several people verbally acknowledged the achievement. I drank to that.
The architecture of the main square provided the perfect European setting for a classic German lunch. Before heading out I picked up a few hundred grams of German cheese to accompany the dried Czech sausage I had been nibbling on since Plzeň.
I finished the day — a bit later than expected — in Meißen, where I stayed at Hotel Goldener Löwe. They were gracious enough to store my bike in one of the locked rooms overnight. The room was small but well suited to a solo traveler. Dinner in their restaurant: Spargel (asparagus) Cordon Bleu and German beer soup.
This might have been the only day of the trip with three full meals. That said, I have been eating well.
Day 5: Cover Your Ears
Route: Meißen > Wittenberg
95.74 mi | 1,076 ft climbing | 7:24 moving time | 9:08 elapsed time
Breakfast was a spread worth the early alarm — a large selection of fresh breads, rolls, hot dishes, fruit, cereal, and several types of muesli. I filled up and it paid off. Today turned out to be the longest day of riding. I felt great and simply wanted to ride. I had known a day like this would come, and when it did I wanted nothing more than to be on the bike with nowhere to be. Part of the reason I had avoided booking accommodations in advance was exactly this — I never really knew one day to the next where I was actually going to end up.
The miles clicked off as I passed yellow fields and small towns. Approaching the outskirts of Wittenberg, a group of riders informed me that the ferry was not operating — a detour would be needed to get into town. I had also missed a message informing me that my confirmed room for the night had been cancelled, which I only discovered upon arrival. It all worked out: the hotel staff helped arrange a room at the Comfort Inn in downtown Wittenberg, about 3 miles back into town.
Those last few miles provided the evening’s drama. Transitioning from cobblestone street to stone path, I didn’t quite clear my rear tire over the curb, went down, and let anyone within earshot know exactly how I felt about it. My jacket and cycling bibs did their job, protecting most of the skin. The bike was fine. My shoulder and hip took the impact, and sleep that night was going to be interrupted.
The hotel turned out great, included breakfast, so all was well.
Day 6: Bodega Charcuterie
Route: Wittenberg > Potsdam
61.38 mi | 1,942 ft climbing | 5:54 moving time | 8:21 elapsed time
Stiff and a bit sore, I made my way down to the breakfast buffet to take stock of the situation. Coffee, juice, and a plentiful spread — a good start, though I was tired from the restless night. A noon checkout gave me the opportunity for a quick nap after eating. I asked the hotel to hold the room for another night and decided I would figure out what came next when I woke up.
The nap worked. I was out of the hotel by noon. The location was ideal — I was able to ride through the cobblestoned pedestrian district of Wittenberg on my way out. After yesterday’s long day I had no interest in pushing all the way to Berlin, and the lack of planned accommodation was very much on my mind. The smaller city of Potsdam seemed the more sensible target.
I followed the EV7 for most of the day, diverging only to take the RR1 Wannsee route into Wannsee rather than looping around with the river.
In Potsdam I found a Limehome apartment with a kitchen area. They had sent an entry code in advance — self-check-in, no fuss. On arrival there was a travel cup and a small packet of gummy bears waiting as a welcome gift, which set the tone for the evening nicely. By the time I was settled in, everything in the surrounding area had closed — except a small bodega. Which provided exactly the right ingredients for a late-night bodega charcuterie board.
Some evenings work out better than planned.
Day 7: Training Day
Route: Potsdam > Oranienburg
48.22 mi | 1,624 ft climbing | 4:48 moving time | 8:21 elapsed time
I had picked up breakfast provisions the night before, so the morning started with a proper apartment breakfast: egg white omelet with tomatoes, toast, cheese, salami, juice, coffee, and of course a few gummy bears. Plenty of leftovers to snack on over the next couple of days.
Today took me into Berlin to visit the Berlin Wall Memorial and Checkpoint Charlie. I followed the EV7 into the city and then diverted toward the Memorial. The ride from Potsdam was short; the rural cycleways gradually morphed into city paths and then city streets.
The events that unfolded in Berlin from the 1930s until the Wall came down in 1989 are staggering in their scale and consequence. The Memorial is a continuous wall of photographs, news clippings, and plaques chronicling Nazi Germany’s reign over the city and the steady erosion of freedom that followed the war. Walking it is a reminder of how quickly ordinary life can be dismantled — and of how much has to go right for it not to be.
Leaving the city, I chose a route that traced the Wall north rather than rejoining the EV7 immediately. The parks along the wall remnants were filled with tourists and locals enjoying the afternoon sun, and the route offered regular historical stops. I eventually rejoined the EV7 near Borgsdorf.
The logistical challenge caught up with me in Oranienburg when I couldn’t secure accommodation for the night. It was getting late, and I had learned that hotels in smaller German towns often close their front desks early. I took a breath and remembered the hotel clerk’s “Don’t Panic” tattoo from that morning’s checkout. I was in Europe. There would be a train.
I had made a tentative inquiry earlier in the day about accommodation further north, and now I confirmed it — a room at the Kulturgasthof Alte Reederei in Fürstenberg/Havel, about 45 miles up the road. A Deutsche Bahn ticket machine made purchasing straightforward, the train was quiet at that hour, and there was more than enough room for the bike. I enjoyed the rest.
In Fürstenberg/Havel I rode a few kilometers to the hotel. My host had arranged keyless entry and left instructions for where to store the bike within the gated courtyard. The apartment was spacious and looked out over the courtyard and a nearby canal. My morning snacks would have to serve as dinner — everything else had closed for the day.
Day 8: Backwards Bowling Night
Route: Oranienburg > Mirow/Peetsch
64.86 mi | 1,329 ft climbing | 5:19 moving time | 7:27 elapsed time
Getting a train back to Oranienburg was easy — despite the early hour there was room for a few bikes. Yes, I had to go back. That’s what happens when the train solves yesterday’s problem.
Upon reaching Oranienburg I found a café across from the train station for fresh pastries, coffee, and juice. I tucked a few extras into my bags for later. The morning ride was pleasant — north through forest and logging trails interlaced with lakes, small streams, and rivers all moving toward the sea. My route blended the EV7 with a German cycleway, and for stretches I was close enough to the waterways to exchange a wave with the occasional boater navigating the canals.
Around 13:00 I arrived back in Fürstenberg/Havel. During the morning ride I had remembered there was an Italian restaurant near the train station. Tagliatelle with mushrooms in a red cream sauce and a Radler Naturtrüb — exactly what was needed.
I began estimating the rest of the day and scouting accommodation 20 or so miles north in the Brandenburg region — hilly, full of lakes and forest. Not wanting a repeat of the previous evening, I started looking early.
At Grabowseessbrücke I followed Komoot’s recommendation onto the German cycle route D2 until rejoining the EV7 at Radweg am Vosskanal. The D2 was mostly paved and well maintained. Further north I passed what was once Europe’s largest brick-making facility. Somewhere in that stretch I temporarily diverged off the EV7 and discovered that “path” can mean many things — the route crossed a catwalk spanning a small river, then followed a single track along the top of a berm of some description. 
I rather enjoyed it. I was glad I had 38mm gravel tires.
Getting late in the afternoon, I chose the first accommodation I could find advertising bike storage — the Landhotel am Peetscher See near Mirow. The hilly route followed cycleways and lightly traveled roads through woods and meadows.
Arriving just before the front desk closed, a staff member showed me the room, the bike storage, and informed me that breakfast was at 7:00am. Neither of us spoke the other’s language. We communicated perfectly.
The room was generous in size and featured a well-designed carpet with a wood grain pattern so convincing I had to take a second look — and then felt its softness underfoot to be sure. The grounds offered sweeping views of the surrounding landscape.
I had assumed lunch would be my last meal of the day — but directly across the street was a small bowling pub serving draft beer and pizza. A Lübzer Schwarzbier while waiting for the pie. A pending date night with my life partner if we ever make it back to this part of the world. This is the grandest of places.
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Part Three — Denmark: The Last Ferry — coming next.