Kleine Radtour zum Lehnitzsee

Eighteen Kilometers from the Palace to Lake Lehnitz

Those with little time or traveling with children should take this tour: eighteen kilometers from Oranienburg train station along Bahnhofplatz and the Oder-Havel Canal to Lake Lehnitz and further to Lehnitz S-Bahn station. The ride is on asphalted cycle paths, the route is flat and easily manageable even with a city bike. The rail connection at both ends is particularly convenient: In Oranienburg, the S1 stops every twenty minutes and runs via Gesundbrunnen, Friedrichstraße, and Potsdamer Platz, plus the RE 5, RB 12, and RB 32; from Berlin Hauptbahnhof, the RE 5 takes about thirty minutes. The destination station Lehnitz is on the Berlin Northern Railway and is also served by the S1 every twenty minutes, and only about one and a half kilometers separate the two stations. For bicycle transport, this is the most comfortable setup on the entire list, because if a train is full, the next one arrives after only a short wait. However, there is no signposted cycle route here; the region instead works with nodes.

The Lehnitz Lock and Two Bathing Areas at the Lake

The real reason for this tour is by the water: the Lehnitz lock, where cargo ships, sports boats, and excursion boats overcome the difference in height. A rest area with a view of Lake Lehnitz is right next to it, an information board named “Schleusenblick” (Lock View) explains the facility, and those who take their time will find several hidden coves along the shore. Swimming is possible at two official municipal bathing areas: the “Weißer Strand” (White Beach) on Magnus-Hirschfeld-Straße and the Bolli bathing area. The Weißer Strand has trash cans, a life buoy, and shaded spots, and on weekends, a lifeguard is on site. There are no catering facilities there, so provisions belong in your saddlebag, and according to the signs on the beach, camping, making fires, and dogs are not allowed. At the start, it’s worth taking a look at Oranienburg itself: the palace and palace park, the historic old town with half-timbered houses and cobblestone alleys, and the statue of Electress Louise Henriette, to whom the city owes its origins. Together with the lake, this makes for an afternoon that can be spontaneously fitted in.