We are not exactly typical cyclists and, until now, have preferred exploring new places by car. So a multi-day cycling tour is a completely new experience for us. With our e-bikes, we set off on a cycling adventure around Berlin. We are looking forward to varied landscapes, beautiful routes along the water and plenty of new impressions along the way. With hot summer temperatures accompanying us, we are excited to start our first tour.
Unfortunately, Potsdam welcomes us with rain, but we are not going to let that dampen our spirits. Luckily, the hotel provides us with umbrellas, so we can still head out and explore the surrounding area a little. In the evening, we decide to ease into our holiday and have dinner at L’Osteria, just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel. Over a delicious meal, we enjoy a relaxed end to our first day and look forward to our first big cycling adventure. Tomorrow, our first proper day in the saddle awaits: 76 kilometres – quite a challenge for us as cycling beginners!
And we’re off! After breakfast, we leave our suitcases at reception and set off, full of excitement, on our first proper day of cycling. The navigation app estimates around 4.5 hours of pure cycling time. In the end, we spend just over five hours in the saddle and, including breaks, are out and about for a good eight hours. Much of the route takes us through forests and along gravel paths – a completely new experience for us as cycling beginners. After a break on the edge of the Königswald forest and a quick drink stop at Saumweg, we tackle the final few kilometres. With tired legs, slightly sore bottoms, but feeling incredibly proud, we finally reach Oranienburg. A challenging but wonderful start to our cycling adventure.
After breakfast, we start the day at a relaxed pace. The first few kilometres already feel easier, and we can tell that we are slowly getting used to cycling longer distances. The route takes us across numerous bridges and along the Havel, with beautiful views of the water along the way. We stop for a longer break at the Rosenbeck lock pond, where we sit on a bench by the water, enjoy the peaceful surroundings, watch the boats and fishermen and recharge our batteries. In the afternoon, we reach the beautiful Lake Werbellin. After our ride, we take some time to relax before enjoying dinner at the hotel restaurant. Afterwards, we spend a little longer on the lovely viewing platform, taking in the scenery and the wonderful sense of tranquillity.
Our third day of cycling begins with a wonderful breakfast and a beautiful view across Lake Werbellin. Best of all, we can even enjoy our breakfast on the platform directly above the water, soaking up the peaceful morning atmosphere. Before long, we make our first stop by the lake near Joachimsthal. The clear water is simply too inviting to resist, so we take a spontaneous swimming break – the perfect start to the day. Our route continues through varied landscapes. A slightly bumpy section through the forest presents another little challenge, but the beautiful scenery along the way soon makes us forget about it. One of today’s highlights, alongside Lake Werbellin, is the impressive Niederfinow Boat Lift. After stopping in Niederfinow for something to eat and drink, we continue towards Oderberg. The final stretch to our hotel brings another surprise: first we have to tackle a short climb before heading down a steep cobbled path through the forest. Once we arrive, we immediately enjoy the hotel’s special atmosphere and get on really well with the hotel owner and caretaker. In the evening, we try some Slavic soups from the menu – a particularly fitting choice given our own Slavic roots.
Our fourth day of cycling begins with a good breakfast. We are almost a little sad to say goodbye to our hotel, as its warm and welcoming atmosphere has made a lasting impression on us. Today’s route is noticeably more relaxed, with plenty of tarmac and well-maintained cycle paths leading us through the countryside. With the hot summer temperatures, we appreciate every opportunity to take a break in the shade or by the water. By now, however, we are beginning to feel the many kilometres we have covered over the past few days – and our bike saddles are still making their presence felt! Nevertheless, we enjoy the peaceful route and the beautiful scenery along the way. With tired legs but plenty of wonderful new memories, we finally arrive in Buckow.
Our fifth day of cycling begins with breakfast before we set off on today’s route. We are looking forward to a slightly shorter stage this time. Once again, the route takes us alongside plenty of water, although some cobbled sections certainly put us to the test along the way. In Woltersdorf, we stop for our first longer break, enjoy a bite to eat and even have a little chat with the ducks. We also spot plenty of boats – including one with a very proud four-legged “captain” on board. Shortly afterwards, our navigation app leads us straight to the Woltersdorf bathing area. With the hot summer temperatures, a refreshing swim is exactly what we need. In the afternoon, we reach our hotel in Müggelheim. The friendly staff recommend the small Müggelsee Beach, just a ten-minute walk away. We spend a wonderfully relaxed evening there by the water. A perfect end to our fifth day of cycling, with plenty of waterside scenery and some very welcome opportunities to cool off.
Our final day of cycling begins with a good breakfast. Afterwards, we get back on our bikes one last time, looking forward to the journey back to Potsdam. After just a few kilometres, we take the ferry across to Grünau. From there, we follow the Berlin Wall Cycle Route for much of the day, enjoying the varied scenery as we cover the final kilometres of our tour. In the afternoon, we finally arrive back in Potsdam. Just as on the previous days, our suitcases are already waiting for us at the hotel. That evening, after completing our very first multi-day cycling tour, we fall into bed tired but very happy.
After a restful night, we enjoy one last breakfast before packing our suitcases and checking out. The luggage transfer has worked perfectly throughout the entire trip – every day, our suitcases were already waiting for us at the next hotel when we arrived. We can simply leave the bikes behind as well, making our departure wonderfully easy and stress-free. With plenty of great memories, tired legs and rather sore bottoms after all those kilometres, we set off on our journey home. Sitting down might not be our favourite activity for the next few days – but the feeling of having successfully completed our first cycling holiday will definitely stay with us!
We look back on our first big cycling holiday with so many wonderful memories. As non-cyclists, the many kilometres and unfamiliar cycle paths were a real challenge at first – but that is exactly what made the journey so special. What we loved most were the many lakes, the varied landscapes and all those little moments along the way – from spontaneous swimming breaks and beautiful viewpoints to friendly encounters with people at our accommodation. The hot summer temperatures also made the tour a memorable experience. Thanks to the many opportunities to cool off in the water and the lovely places to stop for a break, we were still able to enjoy every day. All in all, our cycling tour around Berlin was a fantastic experience. Before setting off, we never imagined that we would be able to cover such a long distance by bike. In the end, we returned home tired but very happy – and who knows, perhaps this was not our last cycling adventure after all!
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