Bernau keeps its medieval wall. Most German towns lost theirs to the nineteenth century, but here a long stretch of the brick-and-fieldstone circuit survives, with the Pulverturm, the Steintor and the grim little Hungerturm still standing, and you can walk almost the whole circle in half an hour. Legend says the wall saved the town from the Hussites in 1432, and an annual festival with costumes keeps the story alive, whatever the historians say. About thirty-five thousand people live here now, and the old centre, with its large Gothic church of St Marien, sits quietly behind a commuter-belt outer ring.
The other surprise on the edge of town is a school. In the late 1920s, the trade-union federation built a training school in the woods, designed by the Bauhaus director Hannes Meyer, a low, calm complex of glass and brick with covered walkways. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage list in 2017 as part of the Bauhaus sites, and the restored building is open for visits. Together with the old wall, it makes Bernau a smaller and more interesting stop than the S-Bahn timetable suggests.
The land around is the Barnim plateau, glacial and gently rolling, with forests of pine and oak, small lakes and the villages of Rüdnitz and Panketal in the surrounding countryside. Riding here is unhurried. The main road toward Eberswalde and the Schorfheide is smooth and quick, and the lanes off it twist through woods with patches of cobbled surface in the villages. Cyclists fill the roads at weekends, and wild boar and deer are about at dusk. A morning in early summer, with the light coming through the pines, is the best time.
Practically, Bernau has everything. Fuel stations ring the town, supermarkets and bakeries are in the centre, and several cafes sit near the market square, serving coffee, cake and, in warm weather, local ice cream. Parking near the wall is easy, and there is a bike-friendly culture, so you will see plenty of other riders. It is a fine place to finish a day on the Schorfheide and Werbellinsee roads, with the S-Bahn waiting to carry you home if the bike needs a rest.