From Berlin to Prague — in the footsteps of the Peace Race part 2
Road Cycling Collection by komoot
7
days
3-10 h
/ day
641 mi
26,300 ft
25,775 ft
In 1952, a prestigious cycling event through Eastern Europe led riders into the GDR for the first time and turned the International Peace Tour into a ride through three countries. From then on, the three capitals Warsaw, Berlin and Prague were an integral part of almost every tour and would serve as either starting, finishing or stage points. The international peloton entered the magnificent avenues and stadiums of the cities in the city center with splendor and glory, cheered on by tens of thousands of spectators.
Part two of our peace race homage starts with the ride into Berlin. And while this route might not be an exact copy of the original tour, we promise you a beautiful, challenging and adventurous road ride over seven stages. That's because, as was the case in part 1, this Collection is more about great experiences on the bike rather than race levels of performance. Therefore, the tracks rarely follow the original route one to one, which would often simply make no sense, as the roads the pros used back then would have been closed off to car traffic for the occasion. Instead, we route you away from heavily trafficked roads. We have replanned the stages to make this ride a comfortable, memorable experience while being sure to take you across bridges and past stadiums that the riders of the day would have also visited—if they still exist. A special Highlight on this ride—even back then—is "the steep wall" of Meerane, which still exists today and has been included on the route.
The last stages will take you through the Czech Republic. As Bohemia is very rural, we recommend that you develop a small plan in advance—hotels, supermarkets and train stations are not going to be too easy to find here. So, estimate realistically how far you want to go and where you want to stay overnight and book it all up in advance. This will allow you to enjoy the wonderful landscapes of Bohemia in a relaxed yet reliable way.
All information, maps and GPS data for the first part of our Peace Race Collection can be found here: komoot.de/collection/700/von-warschau-nach-berlin-auf-den-spuren-der-friedensfahrt-teil-1
On The Map
Do it yourself
Plan your own version of this adventure in the multi-day planner based on the stages suggested in this Collection.
Tours
- 07:57115 mi14.4 mph2,750 ft2,650 ftExpertExpert road ride. Very good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
This tour begins where the last leg of our first part of the 1952 Peace Road ended: on beautiful Lake Köthen. Here you can jump in again just before you start, so that you are fresh for the 187 kilometers that are on the plan today.
This stage is very varied. It starts in the countryside and leads you…
by komoot
- 06:0990.4 mi14.7 mph2,225 ft1,825 ftExpertExpert road ride. Very good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
From Wittenberg, you're heading straight for an area that was not that inviting anytime soon. Once around Bitterfeld, gigantic excavators once dug huge holes in the ground to extract the coal that was hiding there. What was an apocalyptic no-man's-land at that time has become a small paradise for cyclists…
by komoot
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- 07:20101 mi13.7 mph4,475 ft4,700 ftFerryExpertExpert road ride. Very good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may be unpaved and difficult to ride. The Tour includes a crossing by ferry.
Today once again our peace ride commemorative tour leads you completely over German soil. Over 162 kilometers, you'll cover the distance from Altenburg to Pirna, crossing several major cities as well as idyllic sections and many challenging driveways.
An ascent is legendary. The "steep wall of Meerane…
by komoot
- 10:02135 mi13.4 mph7,325 ft6,675 ftExpertExpert road ride. Very good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
From Pirna the eleventh stage of our tour starts in the footsteps of the International Peace Race - the last kilometers on German soil. Bad Schandau is the last place before the border. Here once the professionals were greeted frenetically in the GDR or adopted from it. Today there is the beautiful Elbe…
by komoot
- 06:4094.4 mi14.2 mph4,425 ft4,200 ftExpertExpert road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.
One might think that the motto of this tour would be "from beer to beer". But it is not. It is still about the peace ride. The fact that world-famous breweries are located in the starting and finishing locations is certainly a coincidence. The choice of cities in itself rather not: both are among the…
by komoot
- 04:2560.4 mi13.7 mph2,875 ft3,000 ftIntermediateIntermediate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.
If you left today's tour, you're probably wondering if you'll really arrive tomorrow in the capital of the Czech Republic on the final leg of our Peace Road tribute. Because today you drive through such idyllic rural areas, that the city bustle of Prague seems to be far away.
Anyway, this Bohemia has…
by komoot
- 03:3645.3 mi12.6 mph2,225 ft2,725 ftIntermediateIntermediate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.
Bite again, at least a bit. Today the stage is short, but the beginning is still tough, because you are still in the hills of Bohemia. But after 30 kilometers it's over. A final, wonderful descent directly down to the Vltava ushers in the finish. Without great incline, you can now fully enjoy the trip…
by komoot
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Collection Stats
- Tours7
- Distance641 mi
- Duration46:10 h
- Elevation26,300 ft25,775 ft
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