The LEKKER Journal – a blog series sharing our favourite bike trips and routes in different cities across the world. Highlighting the benefits of cycling and introducing our readers to our favourite places for riding our LEKKER bikes, these blogs aim to be an inspiration to keep on riding and enjoy our beautiful cities and nature in a responsible way. This week, introducing: Bikes routes in Berlin!
Berlin, capital of Germany and melting pot of cultures, is an internationally known city rich in history. From riverside rides to beautiful lakes and forests as well as city trips that will make you feel like you’re on a treasure hunt travelling through time and history, this city has them all! You’ll discover significant political buildings such as the German parliament and federal chancellery, monuments and memorials including the famous Brandenburg gate and Berlin wall, cathedrals, castles and a variety of art and museums. To help you explore all this beauty and history, in this week’s journal we will share some of our favourite cycling trips in the German metropolis.
The Berlin wall path
The famous bike route along the Berlin wall is 160km long and would take at least a weekend to complete fully. However, there are a variety of shorter trips that you can choose out the full route. The 14 separate trips are great for all history lovers, but also everyone who enjoys a bike ride with some hidden gems to discover. We selected two for you but there are many more to explore:
Griebnitz lake to Wann lake
If you like to embrace nature, ride along the water, discover some historical sights and even spot an 18th-century castle or two, this trip is for you! This 12km bike tour starts at the train station ‘Griebnitzsee’ and takes you east along the Griebnitz lake. At the end of the lake, you cross the Glienicker Lake and reach the Glienicker bridge through Klein Glienicke. From there on the path runs along the Havel through Volkspark Klein-Glienicke, via Krughorn and Mortlake to the Pfaueninselstraße, which leads through the forest to the Königstraße. At the intersection Königstraße/Kronprinzessinnenweg, turn left to reach the train station Wannsee, which brings you to the end of this trip and is an easy spot to hop on a train back into the city.
North Station to Potsdamer square
If you’d prefer a city ride packed with historical sights and monuments, this trip will not disappoint! It may only be 7km long, but you’ll need to plan some extra time for all the sights you’ll want to stop for. On this route, you’ll pass by the German parliament, Brandenburg gate, museums, art galleries, several memorials and many more.
Start off at the ‘Nordbahnhof’, the northern train station, and ride along with the former border facilities via the streets: Gartenstraße, Liesenstraße and until the end of Boyenstraße. There the ‘Mauerweg’ (wall path) turns south into Scharnhorststraße and leads you through Kielerstraße to the Spandau shipping canal, which leads to the Sandkrug bridge. Via Alexander-Ufer, Kapelle-Ufer, Schiffbauerdamm and Ebertstraße, the route follows the course of the wall to Potsdamer square. Be prepared to experience a time ride though Berlin…
Tiergarten
A bike trip through and around Tiergarten is a great opportunity to combine sightseeing and nature without leaving downtown Berlin. This park is a popular spot to relax, meet friends and exercise, spreading across 210 hectares, visited by locals and tourists alike. Keep your eyes open for this sight-packed area and you’ll discover Bellevue palace, the ‘Siegessäule’ (victory column), the German parliament, Paris square, the memorial of the murdered Jews, soviet memorial, a number of statues, Brandenburg gate, Potsdamer square and many more.
Tips: take a break at ‘Café am Neuen See’ for German beer garden vibes, park your bike and head up to the ‘Panoramapunkt’ (panorama viewpoint) for fantastic views over the city or combine views and drinks at the Käfer roof garden inside Reichstag.
Follow the Spree
If you prefer riding by the water but not leaving the city centre you can follow the Spree. The river runs from Berlin’s south-east directly through the city centre and into the west. For this trip, you can start your journey at any point by the river and simply follow it for as long as you’d like. Sometimes it might be smart to change riversides to get the better bike path or stop for a certain sight you’re interested in, but the numerous bridges make that quite comfortable. Besides the many views and sights you’ll discover on this trip you’ll get plenty of opportunities to stop at a park or café with a terrace to get a refreshing drink and snacks. The capital beach bar is a popular spot to relax in the summertime. If you like castles, ride further west until Charlottenburg palace, it’s massive garden partly surrounded by water sure won’t disappoint.
No matter if you live in Berlin or are just visiting, we hope we could inspire you to hop on your bike and explore all the city has to offer on two wheels. Cycling will allow you to see more places in the time you would walk, and you won’t miss anything you might not see in a car or on public transport, all while you’re breathing in the fresh air and being able to stop spontaneously at any chosen sight.