Rheinsberg belongs to the water. The town sits on the Grienericksee, with the long Rheinsberger Rhin running out toward the Ruppin lakes, and it is surrounded by a chain of lakes and forests that forms one of the quietest corners of Brandenburg. The palace is the headline attraction, but the lakes explain why the prince Frederick, later the Great, found the place so restful. On a still summer evening, with swans on the water and the pale walls of the castle reflected in the lake, it is easy to understand.
North and east of the town, the landscape reaches a more austere beauty at Lake Stechlin, an exceptionally clear and deep lake that Theodor Fontane used as the title and setting of his last novel, Der Stechlin. A short distance from Rheinsberg, on a different lake, the German Democratic Republic built its first nuclear power plant, which ran from the mid-1960s until 1990, and the site is now being dismantled. It is an odd contrast, an experimental reactor beside a lake of sedge and water lilies. The town also has a tradition of pottery, and the local ceramics shops sell blue-and-white ware.
The riding is easy and pleasant. The roads from Rheinsberg to Lindow, Neuruppin and Gransee run through avenues of old lime and oak, beside lakes, with views of reeds and boats, and the bends are mild and the surface decent. Traffic is light on weekdays, and weekends bring cyclists and day-trippers. In summer, the lakeside roads are pleasant, and in autumn the woods turn gold and the mist lies on the water in the early morning. The hazards are deer and boar, especially at dusk, and wet leaves on shaded corners.
Practically, Rheinsberg has a fuel station, a supermarket, several bakeries and a few restaurants near the harbour, where smoked fish and fresh pike-perch are on the menu. Lindow, with just over three thousand people, is about sixteen kilometres away and has smaller services, while Großwoltersdorf is a village with little more than a shop. Take cash, since some small places do not take cards, and bring something warm for the evening, because the air off the lake cools quickly. A boat trip on the lake is a nice change of pace.