Cruise the river Spree: A great way to explore a great city

Categories: Family and Kids, Sightseeing, Cultural and History

Berlin, Spree and Nicolai area with view to the dome

[ source: Flickr]

A wonderful way to experience Germany's capital city is by taking a cruise on the River Spree. Whether you're planning a shorter or longer stay, a cruise along the Spree will give you a unique and leisurely opportunity to admire the sights of Berlin.

Winding its way through Berlin (Berlin vacation rentals | Berlin travel guide) over some 44 kilometers, the Spree showcases some of the most impressive buildings and monuments the city has to offer. Since 1885, when it was first developed to meet the demands of the growing shipping industry, the Spree has witnessed—and lets you see firsthand—the growth of one of the most vibrant and multicultural cities in the world.

From the first moment you get on board, your attention will be drawn to Berlin's many architectural highlights, both old and new. You will slowly pass by the Charlottenburg and Bellevue Castles, the Chancellor's Office, the Reichstag (Parliament building), the Museum-Island, the Cathedral, and the TV Tower. You will see Berlin's famous Schlossbrücke (Castle Bridge), built between 1821 and 1824, and the Gustav-Heinemann-Bridge, completed in 2005—an 88-meter steel footbridge that spans the river beside the new Main Railway Station.

Most Berlin City-Tours are accompanied by a bilingual tour guide to make the most of your sightseeing experience. You can pick your point of departure and choose among several different routes through the city. Daily City-Tours take between 1-3 hours and are offered from the end of March to the end of October. For a more romantic experience, and a chance to see the illuminated splendor of Berlin by night, you should definitely try the Night Cruise! Between April 10th and October 24th, Friday and Saturday Night Cruises feature a delicious two-course meal.

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About this Article

This travel guide has been written by Monika Petra.

In her own words: When children are born they receive certain gifts to put them to good use or not. In my cradle there must have been at least music and the curiosity for the world we live in. Luckily I could combine those gifts eventually. My live as a jazz vocalist guided me to see and experience many places in Germany and far beyond. As in my music I like to dive in the historical background of given facts, simply to understand the present. During my travel, my circles got wider and wider and since many years I am now living in Thailand, very interesting to say the least. I grew up in Paderborn, lived and studied Jazz in Cologne's Musikhochschule and worked a while in Bayreuth and Kulmbach. My travels throughout Germany took me to all major cities and small towns. It was the people and local differences, be it language, food, traditions and customs, which made it a lot of fun. When finally the wall came down, I was one of those in Berlin posing on the rests of it for the camera. Off course I took the first opportunity to rediscover the new but old states of Germany and finally understood the impact the wall had on all Germans and in regards to the worst part in German history. Being a German living abroad, I discovered in years what I value most about Germany. Rest assured it is a country of rich cultural background still alive today. I visit my home country regularly and stay in touch with my friends, even those back from school. Another thing I always felt passionate about is writing and sharing my experience and thoughts. The internet provides us all with a great opportunity to connect, tell stories, read and learn from others and grow as a global community.

[ edited by: John Tanke ]

This travel guide has been edited by John Tanke. Dr. Tanke studied English and German at U.C. Berkeley, the Universität Göttingen, and Cornell University, where he earned his Ph.D. in 1993. He has worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan and Union College, and more recently as a content writer/editor for Cengage Learning.

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The pictures shown are part of our Live Like a German Travel Guide to Germany group on Flickr. If you have great Germany pictures please consider joining that group and sharing them on Flickr. If you tag them with berlin (and they got approved) they will also show up in the slide show above.

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