Biking along the Berlin Wall by Ana Maria Ciobanu

The Berlin Wall, built 46 years ago by Communist East Germany, separated friends and families, lovers, acquaintances, lives. It was torn down quickly in 1989 everybody wanting to erase all memories of the loathed barrier. Now tangible evidence of what once was the Berlin wall is very hard to find. Berlin has learnt throughout these years that denying your past isn't a very good idea and it's re-discovering its painful Cold War past by building a $6 million bike trail that follows the path of the 160-km Wall built on the sad day of August 13, 1961. Michael Cramer a Berlin political leader and the mastermind behind this incredible project (which had to fight years of resistance), said: "The Wall is part of our past and we can't just erase it." The bike tour is fascinating, offering both a physical challenge and historical treats as it winds its way through mostly green sections of the city. Thirty signs are posted along the route describing historical landmarks. The Wall's look is a little out of date. Huge dream houses have popped up on parts of the former death strip. Stables and chicken farms are sitting very well on that land without knowing what it meant for the world. Thick underbrush has spread across other areas of the strip, which was between 5 meters and about 100 meters wide. Let's hope everyone will enjoy Michael Cramer's wonderful initiative and the next time we'll visit Berlin we'll rent a bike and ride along Berlin's Wall.

by Ana Maria Ciobanu for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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