Bernau is the gate to the north-eastern forest, and the way to use it is to be out of Berlin before the city notices you have gone. The B2 and the A11 both start here, with the S-Bahn line running alongside, and the stations around the edge of town are where commuters and weekend riders cross paths. With almost thirty-five thousand people, Bernau has everything a rider might need: fuel, bakeries, supermarkets and a bike shop or two.
North of the town, the Barnim plateau rolls toward the lakes. Wandlitzsee and Liepnitzsee are half an hour away, and beyond them the great pine and beech forests of the Schorfheide begin. The land was shaped by glaciers, and every few kilometres the road dips into a hollow with a small lake or a stream, then climbs back to open farmland. Surfaces are generally good, and the corners are gentle, which makes for easy, relaxed riding.
Bernau has a historical side that is easy to overlook if you are in a hurry. The old town wall is remarkably intact, with a brick tower called the Pulverturm, and a museum in the old executioner's house. The town holds an annual festival in summer commemorating the legendary Hussite siege of 1432, with costumes, music and a lot of beer, which the story says played a part in the victory.
If you are heading north, the early morning is best. The traffic on the B2 builds quickly after seven, and by eight it is a steady stream of vans and commuters heading the other way. Leave before that and you will find the road clear and the light low and golden across the fields.
Fill the tank, buy a coffee and a roll, and have a look at the old wall. It takes ten minutes and tells you something about how long people have been defending this little patch of the Mark.