Last updated on 10/22/2026
Brandenburg starts where Berlin’s local transport ends, and that is exactly what makes these ten routes so practical: every one of them begins at a station you can reach with a bike on the train, and every one of them ends at a station too. They range from eighteen kilometres along the Oder-Havel Canal to a road-bike loop of more than a hundred, from flat asphalt along a lakeshore to forest and field tracks on the edge of the Märkische Schweiz.
The 100 Kilometer Radrundtour in der Oberhavel is the most demanding on the list, swinging out from Velten station across the Havelland to Berlin’s western edge, where Fort Hahneberg sits on the former border trail. If you have a full day, take the Radtour von Oranienburg bis zum Schloss Mirow: eighty-nine kilometres north past three palaces, the Stechlinsee and Rheinsberg Palace with its park on the water. Far gentler is the Vier Seen-Route im Landkreis Oder-Spree starting in Bad Saarow, where Theodor Fontane called the Scharmützelsee the Märkisches Meer and the spa park, with its lake balcony and mineral spring pavilion, lies right beside the route.
In between there is something for every level: lake loops around Potsdam and Neuruppin, a circuit from Schönefeld that stays entirely in Brandenburg, a mountain-bike route near Strausberg and a short ride to the Lehnitzsee that fits into half an afternoon. Each entry lists the distance, the surface, the right train lines and the swimming spots along the way, so the day is planned before the bike even leaves the cellar.
Francesca Cerza
I love disappearing from the city for a day and simply cycling into the Brandenburg greenery. While putting these routes together, I looked for tours to suit every level of fitness, from the leisurely loop around the Lehnitzsee to the long ride through the Oberhavel. In the end, one thing matters most to me: the calm by the water. Come along into the countryside.
One hundred kilometers on asphalt, starting from Velten (Mark) station, across the Havelland region to the western outskirts of Berlin and back to Oberhavel. The road bike loop passes Schloss Wansdorf, Alt-Brieselang on the Havelkanal, Falkensee, and Seeburg to Hahneberg, where Fort Hahneberg is located on the Berlin Wall Trail. RE 6 and RB 55 stop directly at the start.
Forty-one kilometers starting from Wildau S-Bahn station, mostly paved and partly through forest, with Königs Wusterhausen and its castle garden as the center. The route touches Lake Zeesen, Lake Todnitz, Lake Ton, and Lake Dolgen and crosses a bridge specifically built for cyclists and pedestrians over the Dahme river.
Eighty-nine kilometers from Oranienburg north to Mirow Castle, via Sommerfeld, Beetz, the Beetzer Heide, Lindow, and Rheinsberg. A day trip for the sportingly ambitious, featuring Rheinsberg Castle on the lakeside, Lake Stechlin, and three castles along the route. Lindow and Rheinsberg serve as exit train stations.
Seventy-one kilometers road bike from S-Bahn station Heerstraße via Kronprinzessinnenweg, Wannsee and Kladow to Potsdam and Neu Fahrland, back to Messe Nord/ICC station. Along the way are the Glienicke Bridge, Babelsberg Palace and Park with its garden terraces, Spandau Citadel, and the Old Market with St. Nicholas Church. Entry also at Wannsee station.
Sixty-three kilometers starting from Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor train station, far beyond Lake Ruppin to Lindow and Lake Vielitzsee. Along the mostly paved path are the Fontane Monument, a Schinkel village church in Wuthenow, the fishing village of Altfriesack with a drawbridge, and the Seedamm, the only bridge over Lake Ruppin.
Sixty kilometers around Lake Scharmützelsee, Lake Storkower See and Lake Glubigsee, starting from Bad Saarow and mostly on asphalt. Theodor Fontane called the Scharmützelsee the 'Märkische Meer' (Marchian Sea), and the circuit shows why: a spa park with a lake balcony, the Lesser Promenade on the shore, the harbor of Wendisch Rietz, and plenty of bathing spots along the way.
Twenty-seven kilometers on forest and dirt roads around Strausberg, designed for mountain biking and deliberately away from paved routes. The route is not signposted and its passability varies depending on the weather. Surrounding it are the Straussee, the Herrensee in the nature reserve, and the hills on the edge of the Märkische Schweiz.
Fifty-five kilometers starting from Schönefeld station (near Berlin), paved and mostly on quiet country roads. The round trip leads via Waltersdorf to the open-air swimming pool at Miersdorfer See, continuing to Königs Wusterhausen with its castle and Funkerberg, and back via Gutspark Dahlewitz - a tour that stays entirely within Brandenburg and doesn't touch any part of Berlin.
Thirty-two kilometers from Potsdam Central Station around Lake Templin and Lake Schwielowsee, via Caputh, Ferch, Petzow, and Geltow. Along the way are Einstein's summer house, the oldest preserved castle building in the Potsdam cultural landscape, and Germany's oldest still-operating handweaving mill. The Caputh cable ferry completes the loop.
Eighteen kilometers from Oranienburg train station along the Oder-Havel Canal to Lake Lehnitz and further to Lehnitz S-Bahn station. The shortest tour on the list, on asphalted paths, featuring the Lehnitz lock, two municipal bathing areas, and Oranienburg Palace at the start. The S1 runs every twenty minutes, making the return journey effortless.
