Spandau was a town in its own right for centuries before it became part of Berlin in 1920, and its people still sometimes say they are going into Berlin when they head for the centre. The finish is near Wilhelmstadt, a district on the western bank of the Havel, south of Spandau's old town, and it is a calm place to finish rides that have spent the day in the lakes of the Uckermark or around Bad Saarow.
The Spandau Citadel, a few kilometres north, is one of the best-preserved Renaissance fortresses in Europe, a star-shaped stronghold surrounded by water, built in the sixteenth century around an older castle. Its medieval Julius Tower once held the imperial war treasure, a hoard of gold coins from French war reparations. The citadel is now a museum and cultural venue, with exhibitions, concerts and a large colony of bats wintering in its vaults. Spandau Prison, where Rudolf Hess was the last inmate, was demolished after his death in 1987 to prevent it becoming a shrine.
The old town of Spandau has a pleasant market square, a Gothic church and narrow streets, and the Havel, here wide and slow, is lined with boats, houses and green spaces. To the south, the river widens into a chain of lakes, the Havelseen, bordered by forests, with beaches and footpaths along the shores.
Coming back into Berlin from the west and north, Spandau is often your first contact with the city, and the roads can be busy, especially on Sunday evenings. The Heerstraße and other main roads are wide and fast, while the side streets are quieter, with cobbles in places. There are fuel stations, supermarkets and restaurants throughout Spandau. A walk along the Havel at dusk, with the light reflecting off the water and the boats coming home, is a fine way to end the day.