Strausberg has two things you do not often find together: a long, beautiful lake and an extremely unusual railway. The Straussee stretches several kilometres through the town, with a promenade, a small passenger ferry that crosses it in a few minutes, and wooded shores that make you forget that Berlin is just beyond. The little ferry is a pleasure in itself, a cheap and slightly absurd way to cross water.
The other curiosity is the Strausberg railway, an electric tram line that runs through the town and has done so since the early twentieth century, still operating today as a local line. Together with the S-Bahn, which connects the town to central Berlin, it gives Strausberg an unusual transport heritage. The old town is small, with a remnant of its medieval wall, a gate tower and a Gothic church, and is worth a short walk.
With nearly twenty-seven thousand people, Strausberg has all the services you might want: fuel stations on the main road, supermarkets, bakeries, cafes and restaurants along the lake. It is a good place to start a ride, being only about thirty kilometres from the centre of Berlin and a gateway to the Märkische Schweiz and the Oderbruch. The roads east are quiet and the scenery improves quickly.
The ride along the lake edge is gentle and slow, with low speed limits and a fair number of pedestrians. Further on, the roads open up, with tree-lined avenues, long straights and gentle curves. The surface is good, and the main hazard is farm vehicles and the occasional pothole.
Come early on a weekend if you want the lakefront to yourself. The light on the water at dawn is soft and silver, and the first ferry crosses with almost no passengers. Have a coffee at the quay, take in the view, and then head east. The best of the day is still ahead of you.