Brandenburg an der Havel gave its name to the whole state, and its cathedral on an island in the Havel was founded in the tenth century, when this was a frontier between Germans and Slavs. The town is a maze of water, with the Havel splitting into channels and lakes, and its old centre is spread across three historic towns, the Old Town, the New Town and the Cathedral Island, linked by bridges. Brick Gothic churches, gates and towers rise above the rooftops.
The town has a proud industrial past. The Brennabor works once made bicycles, prams and cars here, and the steelworks were among the largest in East Germany; the industrial museum in the old steel mill tells the story. The humorist Loriot, much loved in Germany, was born here in 1923, and a few bronze figures of his characters dot the town centre.
The surrounding landscape is full of water, with the Havel and its lakes forming a chain of blue through forests and meadows. The riding here is relaxed, with roads following the lakes and winding through villages, and some gentle hills to the south. The roads in the town can be busy and cobbled, and the bridges can be narrow. To the west, the Havel lowlands stretch towards the Elbe, with wide meadows and big skies, home to storks and cranes.
Brandenburg an der Havel has plenty of fuel stations, shops and restaurants. A coffee by the river, watching the boats pass, is a pleasant break, and the cathedral is worth a visit for its crypt and its treasures. The Oderbruch, a very different landscape, lies far to the east.