Tour Berlin by Bike

I'm not one to consider 4 hours on a bike a good idea, but the bike tour of Berlin is a must. The guides are outstanding and I've got two words for you: Beer garden.

Berlin is one of Europe's most interesting and intriguing cities. It's also one of the largest, bursting with sights spread out over miles and miles. Fortunately for us sightseers, it's also fairly flat, and that's where Fat Tire Bike Tours comes in.

Now, I will admit, I was intimidated by the words "bike tour" - especially because they were preceded by the words "four-and-a-half-hour." It doesn't help that I consider organized tours to be in the same category as buffets and strip malls - but this was different.

We covered everything from the Berlin Wall to the Memorial to the Murdered European Jews, the sight of Hitler's bunkers to Checkpoint Charlie. Obviously, the tour is pretty much centered around 20th Century history, but the guides are so knowledgeable and know just how to bring that history to life - all with a nice dose of humor. Our guide even managed to work in references to "The Big Lebowski."

Midway through the tour, the group hits a beer garden - this is Germany after all - for beer and brats. Seriously, does it get any better? The tour covers about 6 miles total, but it felt like we were riding on pillows - and that was even before the beers.

To take the tour, you simply show up at the meeting point at Alexanderplatz under the large TV tower at 11 a.m. from March 1 to Nov. 30. (Tours also begin at 4 p.m. June 1-Sept. 15). Look for the yellow Fat Tire Bike Tour signs and get ready to ride. The tours cost 17 euros for students, 20 euros (about $25) for everyone else, and they provide everything you need but the pedal power.

Fat Tire Bike Tours also run in Barcelona and Paris. No word on what they do in Paris instead of lunch at a beer garden, but in Barcelona, they head to a beach for a dip in the Mediterranean, tapas and cervezas. For more info, visit http://www.fattirebiketoursberlin.com/