Ride & Seek is excited to unveil a New Berlin-to-Budapest “Iron Curtain” epic cycling adventure that includes five capitals and five distinct cultures connected through a historic period that changed the world. This nearly 1,000-mile bicycle tour begins in Berlin where the fall of the Berlin Wall signaled the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.
Berlin to Budapest Cycling Tour | Ride & Seek
The trip travels from north to south along some of the best cycling routes Europe has to offer, weaving its way south through Western Europe and what was once part of the Soviet Union. It is offered in two stages:
Berlin to Prague over eight days and Prague to Budapest over 11 days. The “Iron Curtain” tour is slated for August 18 – September 4, 2019, and starts at $8,318 USD. To view the full tour, visit https://rideandseek.com/tour/iron-curtain-berlin-to-budapest/.
“This exciting new Berlin-to-Budapest tour crosses the divide between communism and democratic capitalism,” said Ride & Seek Founder Dylan Reynolds. “The history on the tour is still palpable, and unlike our other historic cycling adventures, the collapse of the Iron Curtain was witnessed real-time by many of our clients.”
Guests will cycle past palaces and through Sorbian villages to the Polish border. In the Czech Republic, they will ride through the romantic countryside of the Czech Middle Mountains and follow the banks of the Elbe River. Bohemia provides peaceful cycling interspersed with beautiful castles, medieval and renaissance towns surrounded by monumental walls. Biking close to the Austrian border, riders will pass well-preserved fortifications from the beginning of WWII. In Austria, they’ll cycle along wooded hillsides and through green meadows onto the Danube River and into Vienna on beautifully kept cycle paths.
From one capital to the next, guests will follow the blue waters of the Danube River past the luxurious palaces of the Viennese nobility to Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava. The group will continue through Hungary to the baroque city of Györ, and then travel through rolling hills famous for its racehorse studs before returning to the Danube River. The last day will include a ride along one of the most scenic parts of the Danube, where the river enters steep hills, creating stunning meanders into the lively heart of Budapest.
“For those who enjoy beer, this trip will not disappoint,” said Reynolds. “Each of the countries we travel through will tell you their beer is the best in the world, but you will have to make up your own mind.”
Berlin to Budapest Bike Tour Highlights:
Seeing the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie
Cycling along the rivers and canals that cover much of Eastern Germany
Following the Oder-Neisse River along the Polish border to Görlitz, one of Germany’s most beautiful cities
Rolling through the castle-and-fortress-filled Czech Middle Mountains along the banks of the Elbe River
Exploring Telč, a jewel of the Czech Republic and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List
Drinking the world’s best beers: German wheat beers, Czech pilsner, Austrian lager and Hungarian ales
Touring Budapest, an architectural and historical treasure trove along the Danube
Sampling Austrian schnitzel, Viennese-style coffee, chocolate Sachertorte cake, Hungarian Goulash, and German bratwurst.
Sri Lanka Cycling Tour | Grasshopper Adventures
On this week-long cycling tour of Sri Lanka, guests will bike from the highlands to the coast, discovering the rich history, delicious cuisine, and welcoming people of this small but diverse country. Riders will weave through tea plantations, tour the city of Kandy and The Sacred Relic of the tooth of Buddha, explore Yala National Park (elephants, leopards, buffalo, and monkeys), hike the Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve (UNESCO World Heritage Site), and relax on the southern coast. This trip covers 320 km by bicycle and starts at $2,300 USD per person. For more information, visit the Sri Lanka by Bike tour page.
“This is a week in paradise,” said Grasshopper Adventures Founder, Adam Platt-Hepworth. “Not only does this trip offer some of the most beautiful cycling in South Asia, it also includes amazing lodging, food to remember, and a cultural experience like no other.”
Sri Lanka Tour Highlights:
Taking a train through the beautiful tea country hills
Cycling through tea plantations and sampling delicacies like fresh dates and dried corn crackers
Touring Yala National Park by Jeep and hiking to World’s End Lookout
Trekking in the Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Descending from the rainforest to the beaches of the southern coast
Visiting the Temple of the Tooth, where the sacred tooth relic is placed with its supporting stories