Havel Cycle Path

Short description

The Havel Cycle Path leads from the source of the Havel in Mecklenburg to its confluence with the Elbe through Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Berlin, Brandenburg, and Saxony-Anhalt, and is approximately 380 km long. The Saxony-Anhalt section covers almost 43 km from Schollene to Werben on the Elbe.

Description

Even Theodor Fontane knew about the beauties of the Havelland and dedicated his much-quoted work to Mr. Ribbeck and his pear tree.

Follow the Havel and cross dreamlike landscapes! The Mecklenburg Lake Plateau, the Ruppiner Land, Berlin-Spandau, Potsdam, the Havelland, and the Altmark pick up the course of the Havel and lead you along the Havel Cycle Path through river meadows and lake landscapes.

Ride through forests and untouched nature, passing countless lakes in deep blue - the path along the Havel will leave you in awe. Immerse yourself in the diversity of the region! Discover historical landmarks in Oranienburg, Zehdenick, and Potsdam - Prussias kings once built their castles, gardens, and parklands directly on the banks of the Havel. Experience industrial culture in harmony with the surrounding landscape in the clay pit landscapes, at Vossknal, or at Gnevsdorfer Vorfluter. The Havel takes you on a detour to the Berlin district of Spandau, which will captivate you with its charming old town and the citadel - here the Havel Cycle Path and the Wall Path share a section of the way.

Your journey continues close to the water to the nearby UNESCO World Heritage city of Potsdam, which offers you a globally unique work of art. Let yourself be enchanted by the splendor of the buildings before cycling back into nature in the heart of the Havelland. During the tree blossom festival in spring, cherry and apple trees bloom around the city of Werder as far as the eye can see. Passing through Brandenburg an der Havel, further into the charming landscape of the Westhavelland Nature Park, the Havel winds its way into the Altmark. Take a break and enjoy culinary delights in the fishing village of Warnau. The cathedral of Havelberg signals the approaching end of the cycle path. There, not far from Gnevsdorf, where the Havel flows into the Elbe, you conclude your journey along the Havel - enriched with many historical, scenic, and cultural impressions!

Further information

The Havel springs as a small meadow stream 2 km southwest of Ankershagen in Mecklenburg and flows into the Elbe 80 km away in a straight line northeast of Havelberg. It consists of countless twists and turns and a series of lakes, covering four times its straight-line distance through the states of Mecklenburg, Berlin, Brandenburg, and Saxony-Anhalt. In its final stretch, the Havel flows through Saxony-Anhalt from Schollene to Nitzow, at times serving as a border river between the states of Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt. It is a gently hilly landscape shaped by the Ice Age, crisscrossed by rivers, streams, lakes, swamps, wetlands, meadows, and fields. The rivers gradient often only reaches 12 cm/km. In the lower part, heavy sports boat traffic can be expected. Branches from the Havel lead to the Mecklenburg Lakes, Lake Schwerin, Berlin waters, and Brandenburg lakes. Between the connection with the Elbe-Havel Canal and the confluence with the Elbe, there are branches to the Pritzerber See, Hohennauener See, and Ferchesarer See (via the Hohennauener Canal) as well as from the Gülper Havel to the Gülper See, designated as a bird sanctuary.