Route Berlin/Brandenburg

The route of the R1 in Brandenburg runs along the Elbe valley (Elbtal) and through the Fläming region before crossing Potsdam and Berlin, then passing over the hills to the east of the metropolis (Märkische Schweiz) and reaching the low-lying Oderbruch and the river Oder which marks the border to neighbouring Poland.

In High Fläming the R1 passes from the Baroque Wörlitz Garden Realm to the Middle Ages.

There are castles such as Eisenhardt and Rabenstein.

The route here is a bit hilly, with the highest point at Hagelberg (200 metres) but it is still within the scope of the average cyclist.

And from now on it is downhill, past the lakes of the river Havel towards Potsdam and Berlin.

If you don’t want to cycle through Berlin you benefit from public transport and start again on the ZR1 or R1 at the end stations of the underground or rapid transport rail lines (U+S-Bahn) at Hönow or Erkner.

Once past Berlin, the R1 offers a variety of natural landscapes: pastures, forests, fields and lakes, rare plants and animals are ready to welcome you, as well as idyllic villages and small towns.

The region between Strausberg and Grünheide, to the east of Berlin, features wonderful chains of lakes with sandy shores lined with pine trees.

Further east, Märkische Schweiz Nature Park is one of many areas in Germany thought by locals to be reminiscent of the Swiss Alps, and indeed its cliffs and deep valleys, together with the surrounding woods and lakes form an idyllic backdrop in and around Buckow. Finally, you reach the Oder Dyke from which you have a good view across the river to the neighbouring Poland hat. Through to Berlin the route is almost completely on dedicated bikeways, with some sections shared with pedestrians.

The Fläming region is sparsely populated, and so there is no reason to worry about bothersome levels of traffic.