Bike Tour to Wannsee

Bicycle Tour to Wannsee: 28 Kilometers Across Berlin

The bicycle tour to Wannsee follows the RR1 cycling route of the Senate Department and is a 28-kilometer one-way tour, not a circular route. It starts at Schloßplatz in Mitte and ends at Glienicker Bridge. In between lies a cross-section of the city: Gendarmenmarkt, Checkpoint Charlie, the Jewish Museum, the Landwehrkanal, Volkspark Schöneberg, Friedenau, and the Südwestkorso with its cycle lanes. From Domäne Dahlem, an old knight’s estate with grazing animals and a farm shop, the route becomes green, passing Mexikoplatz and Nikolassee on the way to Wannsee Bridge.

At the destination stands the Glienicker Bridge, whose steel construction from 1906 replaced Schinkel’s stone bridge from 1831. Here, East and West exchanged agents in 1962, 1985, and 1986; since November 10, 1989, the bridge has been freely passable again. From the railing, the view extends over Jungfernsee and Tiefen See to no less than five castles.

Castles, Beach Bath, and a Russian Log House

Shortly before the bridge lies Glienicke Palace. Prince Carl of Prussia bought the estate in 1824, Karl Friedrich Schinkel rebuilt it by 1827, the tower was added in 1832, and Peter Joseph Lenné designed the park. A little further up the Havel stands the Nikolskoe Log House, which Friedrich Wilhelm III had built in Russian style in 1819 for his daughter Charlotte, who had married the later Tsar Nicholas I. Next to it is the Church of St. Peter and Paul by August Stüler, whose onion dome also points to Russia.

Wannsee Beach was built in 1929 and 1930 according to plans by Martin Wagner and Richard Ermisch, featuring 1275 meters of sandy beach on 355,000 square meters, accommodating up to 30,000 guests; a day ticket costs 6.50 Euros. Opposite lies Peacock Island (Pfaueninsel) with its castle from 1794, over 400 old oak trees, and Berlin’s oldest rose garden. The ferry across costs 6 Euros including island admission, but bikes must remain at the jetty.