Potsdam Havel and Havelland · short arc

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Food stop near Dahme

   Dahme/Mark sits at the eastern end of the Fläming, where the low hills meet the lowlands of Lusatia, and its castle ruins and old town walls hint at a more important past. The town is small and quiet, with a church, a market square and a park around the ruins of the castle, which burned in the early twentieth century. The surrounding landscape is a mix of forests, fields and small villages, with gentle hills that offer views over the plain.

   Read the complete High point near Dahme write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   Food stop near Dahme is where the day begins. Next is Berlin motorcycle escapes return.

2. 2. Near Tauche, on the way back

   The Spree flows through here on its way from the Spreewald to Berlin, and its slow brown water, edged with reeds and willows, shapes everything. Along its banks stand the usual boathouses, jetties and campsites that tell you the river is used for paddling and fishing.

   Read the complete Berlin motorcycle escapes 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 comes up about 67 km into the recorded legs. Next is Photo stop near Chorin.

3. 3. Photo stop near Chorin

   Chorin Abbey rises out of the trees like a red brick cathedral that someone forgot to finish. Cistercian monks founded it in the thirteenth century as part of the German settlement of Brandenburg, and its towering west front is one of the finest examples of north German brick Gothic. After the Reformation it fell into ruin, and the Prussian architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel was among those who campaigned to save it in the nineteenth century. Today it hosts a well-known summer concert season and has a gentle, almost romantic air.

   Read the complete High point near Chorin write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   about 185 km into the recorded legs you reach Photo stop near Chorin. Next is Scenic stretch near Eberswalde.

4. 4. Scenic stretch near Eberswalde

   Planning note

   Scenic stretch near Eberswalde, about halfway. Next is Potsdam Havel and Havelland checkpoint 8.

5. 5. Spandau

   Spandau is older than Berlin. It was granted town rights in the thirteenth century, and its people still say they are going to Berlin when they cross into the city centre. The old town sits at the confluence of the Havel and the Spree, and its great fortress, the Zitadelle, is one of the best-preserved Renaissance fortifications in Europe, a star-shaped stronghold with bastions, a moat and the medieval Juliusturm, where the German imperial war treasure was once stored.

   Read the complete Spandau write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   Finish at Potsdam Havel and Havelland checkpoint 8. That is the ride. Next is Back to Potsdam Havel.

6. 6. Back to Potsdam Havel

   The land is flat and watery, with the Havel winding through meadows, reed beds and shallow lakes, and the old fishing town of Ketzin sits on its bank, with a small harbour, a church and a ferry across the river. The air smells of mown grass and mud, and herons stand in the shallows.

   Read the complete Potsdam Havel 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 309 km.