Detours | Germany’s Iron Curtain Trail
Experiencing History Along the Green Belt

Experience the history of divided Germany by bike: the “four-state-border route” – part of the Iron Curtain Trail – follows for the most part the former border between West and East Germany. Today, the country’s first joint nature conservation area following reunification can be found along a line that in the past was marked by barbed wire fencing.

By Sarah Klein

If heading off on an extended cycling tour to enjoy plenty of natural scenery while at the same time learning something about German history appeals to you, why not tackle the German section of the Iron Curtain Trail known as the “four-state-border cycle route”? Not only does the route – as the name promises – take you through four of Germany’s states (Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania); you will also discover a great deal about the former division of Germany as you cycle the 170 km in six stages.

For the most part, the cycle route passes through the Green Belt, which nowadays marks the former border of divided Germany. Where barbed wire fencing and watchtowers kept people in the two parts of Germany segregated for 40 years, a strip of land stretching a total of 1,400 km is now home to rare plants and animals. The Green Belt is the country’s first joint nature conservation area following reunification.
There are dozens of fascinating sites that are well worth visiting during the course of the tour – though sadly far too many to mention all of them here. In Böckwitz-Zicherie for example, you can experience how a village of two parts was once cruelly divided, the border running right through its heart and leaving its mark on the local community to this day. The border museum in Schnega provides a fascinating insight into everyday life along the inner-German border and tells the stories of many people who attempted to escape.

Other contemporary witnesses report what life was like under constant surveillance – something many of us can hardly begin to imagine today. The former border fortifications are still visible in Salzwedel, with information boards indicating the course of the border and the arrangement of the security barriers. Relics such as the old patrol roads and abandoned watchtower foundations are a haunting reminder of just how impenetrable this border was.

So if you do set off to cycle the trail, you will find yourself not only passing through delightful natural scenery such as moors, forests and fields, but also embarking on a journey through a turbulent chapter of German history.