Berlin · Märkische Schweiz and Buckow Lakes

A 133 km loop from Strausberg

Open this ride in the planner →

Why this ride

The anti-traffic escape: forest, lakes and real curves east of the city. 133 km round from Strausberg - plan on about 2 h 17 of riding. The stops in between: Buckow lake bend core, Schermützelsee water stop and Neuhardenberg palace roads.

Roadbook

1. Strausberg fuel gate fuel

   Strausberg is the last proper town before Berlin turns into Brandenburg, and it knows how to be useful. It sits on the shore of a long lake, the Straussee, about thirty kilometres east of the capital, with the S-Bahn running straight in, and about twenty-six thousand people live here. The medieval centre kept a stretch of its town wall and the brick gothic Marienkirche, and the little ferry across the lake, the Strausberg ferry, is one of the nicest short crossings in the region. The town also runs one of the smallest tram networks in Germany, a single line that has served for a century.

   The place had a more serious role in the recent past. During the Cold War, the headquarters of the East German Ministry of National Defence stood on the edge of town, and the area was a closed military district, with barracks and an airfield. Those days have gone, and today the lakeside is a place for walking, rowing and cafés, and the town functions as a commuter suburb with a pleasant setting.

   From here, the ride east leads into the Märkische Schweiz, the Brandenburg Switzerland, a hilly nature park of beech woods, small lakes and glacial ridges that is a favourite for Berliners at weekends. The name is generous, since the hills are low, but the landscape of rolling ground, forests and still water after the pancake flatness around Berlin is a real contrast. Buckow, the little spa town in the middle, was the home of the playwright Bertolt Brecht and the actress Helene Weigel, whose summer house is open to visitors. Roads are narrow, curving between lakes and trees, and the surface is generally good, with some old cobbled stretches in villages.

   Strausberg is a good place for fuel, supermarkets and bakeries before leaving the city's orbit, since villages in the park have fewer services. Weekends in summer are busy with cyclists and families, so early starts are rewarded. The best seasons are spring, when beech leaves turn fresh green, and autumn, when the forests glow copper. Stop for coffee by the water and a slice of cake before heading east.

2. Buckow lake bend core scenic

   The road bends around the Schermützelsee here, and the bends are the point. Buckow lies in a hollow of the Märkische Schweiz, where glaciers once carved a long channel and filled it with water, and the road follows the lake shore in a series of turns that make a welcome change from the straight lines of the Brandenburg plain. Beech woods climb the slopes, and the water flashes between the trunks.

   Buckow itself is small, with about sixteen hundred people, but it has been a resort since the nineteenth century, when Berliners took the little narrow-gauge railway out from Müncheberg to spend the summer in villas along the shore. The railway is long closed, but the station buildings and some of the villas remain, with their carved balconies and shady gardens. The town retains a gentle, slightly faded charm, like a seaside resort with the sea replaced by a lake.

   For riders, this is one of the most enjoyable roads east of Berlin. The curves are tight enough to be fun and open enough to be safe, the surface is generally good and the traffic is light on weekdays. Watch for gravel and leaves on the corners, especially in autumn, and for cyclists, who love this road as much as you do. Weekends in summer bring crowds, so it is best to ride early or on a weekday.

   In the village, you will find a couple of cafes and a baker, and in summer a kiosk at the lakeside sells ice cream and drinks. A smoked fish roll from one of the stands is a classic.

   The best light is in the evening, when the sun drops behind the western ridge and the lake goes still. If you are lucky, you will have the lake road to yourself, with only the sound of the engine and the evening birds.

3. Schermützelsee water stop swim

   The water here is the point. Schermützelsee is the largest lake in the Märkische Schweiz, a long, clear glacial channel that runs alongside Buckow, and in summer the shore is dotted with small beaches, jetties and boat hire stations. The water is clean and refreshingly cool, edged with reeds and beech woods, and on a hot day it is hard to resist.

   Swimming is straightforward. There is a public beach near the centre of Buckow, with a grass area and a kiosk, and quieter spots along the shore where locals slip in from the bank. The lake is deep in the middle, so be careful if you plan to swim out, and keep in mind that the water takes a while to warm up in spring. Boats and pedal boats can be hired in season, and a small passenger boat makes tours of the lake.

   The setting is tranquil. The hills rise gently around the water, with villas and old trees along the shore, and in the early morning the lake is almost still, with mist lifting off the surface. In autumn the beeches turn copper and gold, and the reflection doubles the colour. Winter is quiet, with a skin of ice sometimes forming near the shore, and the village is a calm place for a hot drink.

   For riders, the road to the lake is a pleasure in itself, winding through woodland and past small farms. Be careful about leaving kit unattended on the beach, as in any popular spot, and bring a towel, because you will not find one at the water. Fuel is in Müncheberg, about eight kilometres away.

   If you go in high summer, aim for the morning or the late afternoon, when the day-trippers are fewer. A swim, a smoked fish roll and an hour in the shade make a very good break.

4. Neuhardenberg palace roads sight

   Neuhardenberg is a village on the edge of the Oderbruch, and its palace has an unusual story of renaming. The estate was called Quilitz until 1814, when the Prussian king gave it to his state chancellor, Karl August von Hardenberg, as a reward for his service in the reform era and the wars against Napoleon, and Hardenberg renamed the place after himself. The great architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel redesigned the palace and built the church in the village, a pale, clean-lined building that is among his best small works. In East Germany the village was renamed again, as Marxwalde, and it kept that name until 1990.

   The palace today is a cultural centre and hotel, with concerts, readings and exhibitions in its rooms, and a restaurant and cafe in the grounds. The park around it, laid out in the English landscape style, is open, and there is a path beside the village pond. The village is small, about three thousand people, and the main street has the quiet of a place that was once important and is now content.

   For riding, the surrounding roads are an easy pleasure. The route from Müncheberg and Seelow runs across the open plateau with long views, passing through villages with avenues of cobbles and old lime trees, and the occasional dip toward the marshes of the Oderbruch. Surfaces are generally good, although some of the older avenues have uneven stretches, and the cobbled village streets are slippery after rain. Farm traffic and combine harvesters appear in late summer. Cranes, white storks and hawks are frequent. Morning light on the fields is beautiful.

   Practically, there is a fuel station in Neuhardenberg itself and more in Seelow and Letschin, though it is wise not to rely on small stations being open late. The palace restaurant is the best place for a proper meal, and the village has a bakery and a small shop. Parking is easy in front of the palace. A short walk in the park and a look inside the Schinkel church take about an hour and make a pleasant break. Weekends bring day visitors, so a weekday is quieter.

5. Back to Strausberg finish

   Back at Strausberg. That is the ride.

Where this sits

Rides near here