In October 2025 my friend Sammy and I took a trip to Prague and Berlin.
We flew to Prague and took the train from there to Berlin's impressive central station...
This post will focus on one of my favourite subjects - bikes! Bikes of Berlin!
I will link to my other "Bikes of" blog posts at the end of this post.
So saddle up - and let's get rolling!
An early stop for us was Checkpoint Charlie - clearly a must visit for many.
There was almost always a steady line of people waiting to take photos there.
Flic Film Aurora 800 - Lomography Sprocket Rocket
Several sites near Checkpoint Charlie recognize the history of East and West Germany, including a place we visited called Black Box Cold War...
Ilford Delta 3200
A map showing the divisions in Berlin, following World War II.
There are many groups offering bike tours of Berlin...
Bike tours often include a stop at the Eastside Gallery.
The Eastside Gallery is known as the "longest open air gallery in the world".
It has murals made by artists from around the world.
A mural that says, in German and English:
Many small people who in
Many small places do many small things
That can alter the face of the world
Lime rental bikes parked near the Eastside Gallery
A vendor setting up his bike cart near the Eastside Gallery.
Some present-day fixtures bring echoes of Berlin's past...
Bikes are readily found near every U-Bahn (subway) station.
I loved exploring the U-Bahn system, especially coming across "Zoologischer Garten" station, which inspired the song Zoo Station by U2.
(U2 recorded their incredible "Achtung Baby" album in Berlin's Hansa Studios, which we also visited.)
Speaking of the U-Bahn - you can also find bikes inside the stations...
Bikes of Berlin seem to move even faster at night! :)
Bikes can convey style and mood, even in black & white...
They also pair well with graffiti...
...and with sunglasses!
Berlin has so many great neighbourhoods, including Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain.
Lomography Sprocket Rocket with Kodak Tri-X 400
The view from inside of KreuzBurger, found in the Kreuzberg neighbourhood.
While walking with two German photographers (as part of a photo workshop I did with Joakim Möller) I noticed this row of bikes lined up with German colours.
One of the German photographers expressed annoyance in response to the above scene, saying how nationalism is a big problem.
Our discussion provided some insight into political tensions in Germany, and added context to these stickers that I often saw around Berlin.
Stickers sending a message against the AfD, a far right party that has been on the rise in Germany.
I of course saw many positive social movements in Berlin, like the Omas and Opas (grandmothers and grandfathers) for future!
I've read about a similar group called "Omas gegen Recht" (Omas against the Right). They have my respect!
Rest assured that I left no corridor, archway, or alley unexplored in my quest to show you the Bikes of Berlin...
If you don't like to pedal, don't worry - you can still find wheels to roll you around Berlin...
Perfect for holding your "doppio" - or any "Kaffee Spezialität" - on your way to your next big gig!
If you love Bikes, and find yourself in Berlin, be sure to visit the Berlin Bike Cafe!
They have a great menu and an excellent shop. I bought a t-shirt there - a fun souvenir of my visit!
Photography related spots that I recommend:
- Safelight Berlin - a very cool film store and lab
- click & surr - a film store with a large selection of analogue cameras
- Film Speed Lab - another great film store and lab
- Fotoimpex - a lab and supplier of all things film related
- Fotografiska - a wonderful photo exhibit space - with many floors and a great gift shop!
- F3 Space for Photography - photo exhibit gallery
- Photoautomat - photo booths found in many spots throughout Berlin. This article from 2024 includes photos and locations.
Click here to see more of my "Bikes of" blog posts! (Including Montreal, Mexico City and more!)
Keep on cycling!
P.S. I used the following cameras in this blog post: Nikon Z6II, Fuji X-Half, Olympus Stylus Epic with Kodak Tri-X 400 film and a Lomography Sprocket Rocket with Tri-X 400 and Flic Film Aurora 800.