Evening Bike Tour 1: Industrial Heritage in Schöneweider + Sunset Beer.
Details
Meet: Treptow Sbahn. Outside Sesam Cafe (see pin)
Time: 18:00
Distance: 30km
Theme: History + Social
Fee: 5€ per head (price includes a bit of storytelling from me)
Let’s make the most of the long evenings with some history-themed cycle tours this summer.
The idea is to meet up after work, get a little cycle in, see some sights and end in a beer garden.
The Tour
The first destination will be Schöneweider: the home of Berlin’s Elektropolis – where modern electricity was pioneered. (see more on this below). We will – more or less – follow the route of industrial culture. First we will head East along the South bank of the River, cruise around the industrial heritage of Schoneweider with a few stories form me, then head back up the North side to the Funk Haus (itself a monument of industrial culture) for a sundowner beer and perhaps a bite to eat at café Zola. After that its lights on for a return journey to Treptow/Freidrichshain – estimated time of arrival 9pm.
The Cycling
This is not a sports event. As long as you have a reasonable bike and are used to cycling around town, you should be fine to join in. City bikes are fine – there are no hills.
What to Bring
Spare inner tube for your tyre size, cash, waterproofs, suncream, snacks, a smile.
Hope to see you there
Simon
Schöneweider is the home of Berlin’s Elektropolis. It was here that modern electricity networks were developed by AEG, creating a pioneering electricity generation and transmission system that served as a model for all. Not only did they build the power station and grid running from it, they then went on to build the factories necessary to produce components for the electrification of the cities around the globe. Turbines, lamps, cables, valves and much more were manufactured in this kilometer long stretch of the riverside. Along with it came new residential areas as the population swelled to 26 thousand from virtually nothing in 30 years from the 1890s.
Today many of the buildings are derelict, some are under development and others are art spaces or ateliers. All retain their beauty and fascination as monuments to Berlin’s industrial past. Come and explore this unique and lesser-known slice of Berlin’s History together.