Northcape 4000, day 4: Getting to know east Germany

East Germany, the DDR… as a kid, I didn’t really understand why there were all these different names. As I grew up, reading historical accounts from various authors and opposing political viewpoints, my perception of the “different” German states began to take on clearer, more defined shapes.

The Czech town of Kraslice is only a few kilometers from the German border. After Ksenija and I stocked up at a local grocery store, we headed out slowly toward the north-northwest. Once we crossed the border, we turned north-northeast and continued in that direction through the states of Saxony and Brandenburg for the rest of the day. The sky was mostly sunny, and the fresh morning temperatures warded off any potential discomfort from the high humidity. A light tailwind pushed us from the southeast, which was a double win: it made our progress easier and gave us the peace of mind that we wouldn’t see any rain for the next two days.

Because of deep-seated prejudices about the past, many people might shy away from visiting east Germany, missing out on some beautiful experiences. More than thirty years have passed since the reunification of the two German states, and the road, transport, and commercial infrastructure has been raised to a true European level. I recalled some impressions from cyclists on the 2022 Northcape tour who passed through these parts and mentioned poor supplies. However, that was the last year of the COVID pandemic when many were still under various precautionary measures, and many shops and restaurants were closed.

During our ride, we never felt like it was difficult to buy food or find a meal and refreshment in a restaurant. Quite the opposite, everything was open, the asphalt was in great shape, the drivers were respectful, and there was no litter in sight.

What did remind us of times past were the old facades, and in many smaller towns, the road surfaces were made of granite cobbles. Large, bumpy… Besides being historical relics, such surfaces aren’t exactly meant for speeding through a village center in a car. They are even less suitable for a bicycle, so I found myself using the sidewalks more than once to get through smaller towns.

In the early afternoon, we rode under the railway viaduct near the town of Göhren. Its arches reminded me of Roman aqueducts, even though it was built centuries later. Nearly five thousand workers and three hundred and forty horses built it between May 1869 and June 1871. Its restoration was completed in 1986. The viaduct spans the valley of the small Zwickauer Mulde river. Impressive, isn’t it!?

Feeling a bit tired and worn out by the day-long mugginess, we stopped in the town of Colditz at the main square for some ice cream and coffee. What I was particularly interested in, but we didn’t have time for, was a visit to Colditz Castle. During World War II, it was notorious as a high-security prison with the “least chance of escape.” It was called “Oflag IV C,” and they imprisoned officers and prominent figures there, first the Polish, and later those from all the other nations Nazi Germany was at war with. It was, I suppose, the only prisoner-of-war camp where the 1907 Hague Convention on the rights of prisoners was more or less respected.

The rooftops of Colditz Castle, which sits on a rocky outcrop above the Zwickauer Mulde River, and the Germans believed it to be an ideal site for a high-security prison. However, despite this, the castle recorded more escape attempts and successful breakouts than any other prison during World War II.
A prison for the “incorrigibles”…

We reached Luckenwalde, where we had booked our stay, just a few minutes before midnight. There was no one left at the reception, and that’s when we learned how you get your room keys when the staff is gone for the night.

We had covered nearly 270 km, but there was no time for celebration. Dinner out of a bag, a shower, and sleep. Tomorrow, we had to keep moving right away. For Berlin and beyond…

Cheers! 🍻
Siniša