Some of us lived it. Others only learned about it in school: the Cold War and the division of Europe into East and West. The Berlin Wall fell in 1989, and by the early 1990s the Iron Curtain that once split the continent was gone. It is hard to believe how recent that history really is.
You can run straight through it. From communist-era monuments and hidden gems to the personal stories our guides carry from growing up on either side of that line, these are the routes that get the most “really?” moments from guests. In one episode of Go! Running Talks, our guide Lubka from Bratislava puts it simply: “Aliens like Slovakia very much.” You will have to run her tour to find out why.
BRATISLAVA GEMS OF COMMUNISM – 8K
Step into Bratislava’s communist past with Lubka, where guests are always fascinated by the communist-era architecture: the UFO-shaped restaurant perched on its bridge, the upside-down pyramid of the Slovak Radio building, and the climb of more than 200 stairs to reach the biggest Soviet monument on the tour.
HEARTBEAT OF BUDAPEST RUN – 6K
Feel Budapest come alive beneath your feet with Zora and team, from the Danube and Chain Bridge to Parliament and Liberty Square, where the Soviet War Memorial reveals the city’s layered past. This run is a time machine, carrying you through Budapest’s rich history, its Cold War era, and its vibrant life today.
BERLIN LEGACY OF COLD WAR – 14K
Run through the shadows of a divided city with our guide Nykita. From the East Side Gallery and Checkpoint Charlie to a preserved Wall watchtower, the former Soviet Embassy, and the Soviet soldiers’ memorial in Tiergarten, this run is packed with “wow” moments.
Lubka also shares, in that same episode, how communism shaped Bratislava, the one marathon across Slovakia she will never repeat, and what it is really like to guide her city’s running tours. Give it a listen.
