Storkow is a small town on a lake in the Dahme-Seenland, south-east of Berlin, with a castle at its heart. Burg Storkow, a medieval fortress first recorded in the thirteenth century and rebuilt over time, stands beside the water, with towers and a gate, and the old town around it is a neat cluster of brick houses and a church. The Storkower See, with reeds and a swimming beach, lies right beside, and to the south, the huge lake called Scharmützelsee, the second-largest in the region, is only a few kilometres away.
The land here is a mix of pine forest, sandy heath and lakes left by the glaciers, and it has the quiet of a place that has not changed much. Wendisch Rietz, a village on the Scharmützelsee, is a popular spot for sailing and swimming, and smaller villages such as Reichenwalde sit among the trees. The area is a favourite weekend destination for Berliners, who come to swim, cycle and eat smoked fish by the lake, so roads can get busy on sunny Saturdays.
The label points to the Fläming Skate, a loop of smooth tarmac for skaters in the Fläming hills to the south-west, and this finish lies on the way back to Berlin from the south-east. The riding is relaxed, with straight roads through pine woods, smooth bends around the lakes, and a lot of shade. Surfaces are generally good, with cobbles in the villages and occasional sand at the edges. Wild boar and deer appear at dusk, and in dry summers the forest fire danger is high.
Storkow has about nine and a half thousand people, with fuel, shops, cafes and a couple of guesthouses. A plate of smoked eel or whitefish, a local speciality, with a cold beer at a lakeside kiosk, is a good way to end the ride. Spring and autumn are quieter, and the lakes shine in the low light.