Barnim Forest and Werbellinsee · short arc

Scenic road chapters

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Fuel stop near Kremmen

   In 1412, on a causeway through the marshes near Kremmen, the forces of the new Hohenzollern rulers of Brandenburg fought the Dukes of Pomerania in a battle that marked the beginning of the Hohenzollern era, which would eventually lead to Prussia and the German Empire. The causeway, the Kremmer Damm, still crosses the wetland, and a memorial cross marks the site of the battle. Fontane described it in his travels, and the story is part of Brandenburg folklore.

   Read the complete Fuel stop near Kremmen write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Barnim Forest and Werbellinsee is where the day begins. Next is Barnim Forest and Werbellinsee checkpoint 8.

2. 2. Near Konradshöhe

   On the north-western edge of Berlin, the city dissolves into water and woods. Around Konradshöhe and Heiligensee, villas and gardens run down to the shores of the Havel and the Tegeler See, Berlin's second-largest lake, with islands, sailing boats and a long promenade at Alt-Tegel. Across the water, the Tegel forest stretches away, a dense area of pine and oak that hides walking paths and small lakes.

   Read the complete Near Konradshöhe write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Finish at Barnim Forest and Werbellinsee checkpoint 8. That is the ride. Next is Photo stop near Słubice.

3. 3. Photo stop near Słubice

   Until 1945, Słubice was the Dammvorstadt, the suburb of Frankfurt an der Oder on the east bank of the river. When the border was redrawn along the Oder after the war, the town became Polish, its German population was expelled, and it was resettled by Poles, many of them themselves displaced from lands further east. Today, a bridge links the two towns, and the border is open, with people crossing freely to shop, work and study. The Collegium Polonicum, a joint institution of the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt and a Polish university, stands near the bridge as a symbol of reconciliation.

   Read the complete Photo stop near Słubice write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 174 km into the recorded legs you reach Photo stop near Słubice. Next is Scenic stretch near Wendisch Rietz.

4. 4. Scenic stretch near Wendisch Rietz

   Brandenburg likes to call the Scharmützelsee its sea, the Märkisches Meer, and from the southern shore at Wendisch Rietz you can see why. The lake stretches away for about ten kilometres towards Bad Saarow, wide enough that on a windy day it throws up proper waves. Wendisch Rietz sits at the southern tip, with a harbour, a beach, holiday homes and a channel linking the lake to the Glubigsee and the waterways beyond. The name hints at the Slavic Wends who lived here before German settlement.

   Read the complete Scenic stretch near Wendisch Rietz write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Scenic stretch near Wendisch Rietz, about halfway. Next is Berlin motorcycle escapes return.

5. 5. Near Schlieben, on the way back

   The Elbe-Elster district, in the far south of Brandenburg, is a quiet, sparsely populated land of forests, heath, farmland and small towns, between the Elbe and the Black Elster rivers. Schlieben, a small town on a low hill, stands in the middle of this landscape, and the countryside near it is a place to pause on the way back towards Berlin, especially on a hot day.

   Read the complete Near Schlieben, on the way back write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Berlin motorcycle escapes return sits at 388 km, late in the day. Next is Food stop near Ziesar.

6. 6. Food stop near Ziesar

   Ziesar was once the home of bishops. For several centuries, the Bishops of Brandenburg made the castle here their main residence, and the brick keep and the chapel with its medieval wall paintings still stand. The castle now houses a museum on medieval Christianity and episcopal life, a surprising treasure for a small town of a couple of thousand people on the edge of the Fläming.

   Read the complete Food stop near Ziesar write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   The route ends here after 491 km.