Travelling through Berlin by bike is always something special. In addition to the popular tourist hotspots, you can discover many hidden corners in Berlin. We have put together some routes for you to get off the beaten track. Here you can relax in the countryside - and really work off some energy. But even if you're just looking for alternative sightseeing routes, you'll find the right one for you.
Tip 1: Dahlem Route
This 18-kilometer route starts at the Botanical Garden. The next highlight is the area of the Domäne Dahlem estate. Here you cycle through meadows and fields and you may even meet some cows and chickens. The route continues towards Krumme Lanke and Schlachtensee. On the way you will also pass through Berlin's grand villa district. Some of them now house faculties of the FU Berlin.
Tip 2: Warm light and cool beer
Combine your bike trip with a discovery tour of Berlin's industrial culture. Visit the backyard workshop where Siemens & Halske, a global corporation, began. Find out from where Berlin was once supplied with electricity, water and gas. This 24-kilometer route is dedicated to the remaining monuments, factories, power plants and substations that made it possible to turn Berlin into a vibrant metropolis in the first place. And yes, breweries were already part of real big city life back then.
Tip 3: Set off for Copenhagen
Did you know that there is a cycle route between Berlin and Copenhagen? If you don't feel up to the full 700-kilometre route, you can at least take the Berlin section. It takes you in the direction of Hennigsdorf through the countryside, past Spandauer Forst and Tegeler Forst. How far you want to follow the route is up to you. Just don't forget to turn round in time and come back to Berlin, otherwise you might find yourself in Copenhagen after all.
Tip 4: Old Town Flair and Spandau Forest
With almost 24 kilometres, this tour offers you incredible variety. You start in the old town of Spandau, see the Citadel, one of the most important Renaissance fortresses in Europe, and reach the Berlin-Copenhagen cycle path. This, in turn, takes you along the blue Havel and through the Spandau Forest.
Tip 5: See the green side of Neukölln
An idyllic landscape with a windmill is not the first thing that comes to mind when visitors to Berlin think of Neukölln. And yet there is also this facet of the multicultural, trendy district. The best way to discover this side is by bike and by moving further and further away from the centre. On the way, you can pay a visit to Britz Palace and Britz Gardens, among other things.
Tip 6: Cycle from Spandau to Potsdam
A little challenge for the fitter among us: This route takes you from Spandau S-Bahn station to Potsdam. You are almost constantly travelling along the Havel and pass sights that many tourists otherwise only get to see from an excursion boat. For example, the Heilandskirche Sacrow. If the bike tour wasn't enough for you, you can hire a board for stand-up paddling, or SUP for short, in Potsdam.
Tip 7: From House to House - Art at Grunewald
From House to House is a cooperation between the Haus am Waldsee, the Brücke Museum and the Georg Kolbe Museum. Like all other museums and cultural institutions, they are also closed for the time of the Corona crisis. Nevertheless, you can explore the architectural features of the three listed houses on a trip to Berlin's Grunewald.
Tip 8: Bicycle tour through Marzahn
You can discover the green side of Marzahn along the Wuhle river. The well-known hiking trail is also suitable for cyclists and leads you along the Kienberg to the Gärten der Welt (Gardens of the World). Tip:for the Gardens of the World, it is worth interrupting the cycle tour at any time to stroll a little through the garden with its impressive garden arts from all over the world. The tour ends at the Ahrensfeld Hills, where you have a magnificent view of the Berlin TV Tower.
Tip 9: Shipping canal - Spreeweg tour
The route starts from Berlin-Spandau station. After only a few kilometres you will be rewarded with a view of the Eiswerder Brücke and a little later of the Spandau Citadel. Then it's through the tree avenue of the cycle path along the Berlin-Spandau shipping canal to the Nordhafen and along the Spree back to Spandau.
Tip 10: Discover hidden oases on a guided cycle tour
If you're afraid of getting lost off the beaten track, this bike tour could be just the thing for you. The local guides from Berlin on Bike will show you a few hidden oases in the city on this guided tour and share their personal insider tips with you. A great alternative to the usual sightseeing programme! The tours are available in German, English and Dutch.
Tip 11: Streetart Tour
On the bike tour along the Spree and through Friedrichshain you will discover the most impressive murals in the city. With our free app ABOUT BERLIN, you can learn about the stories behind the murals, which street artists were involved and what messages lie behind them. Let us explain the details of the murals to you and immerse yourself in Berlin's street art scene.
(free download in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store)
