By bike through Potsdams gardens

Pedales effortlessly opens up the cultural landscape of Potsdam and immerses you in a Gesamtkunstwerk that Prussian architects and garden artists shaped over many years. From the historic Potsdam city center, the route leads to the Freundschaftsinsel with the show and educational gardens of Karl Foerster, and further on through the English-style Babelsberg Park created by Prince Pückler to Klein Glienicke. The journey continues over the Glienicke Bridge to reach the New Garden. The next stop is the Bornim district of Potsdam, where Karl Foersters residence with its inviting and well-thought-out garden can be found. The route then passes through the Sanssouci Park designed by Peter Joseph Lenné, back to the city center.Length: 19 kmStart/Finish: Potsdam HauptbahnhofArrival and departure to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof: Regional trains RE 1, RB 20, RB 21, RB 22, RB 23, RB 33S-Bahn S7Various busesRoute: Potsdam Hauptbahnhof, Freundschaftsinsel, Park Babelsberg, Klein Glienicke, Glienicke Bridge, Schwanenallee, Neuer Garten, Alexandrowka, Karl-Foerster-Garten, Park Sanssouci, Potsdam HauptbahnhofDirections: The first stop is the Freundschaftsinsel. It is picturesquely surrounded by the two arms of the Havel not far from the main train station. It became famous for the show and educational gardens created by Karl Foerster in 1937, with more than a thousand different perennials and around 250 varieties of irises in the water garden.From the Freundschaftsinsel, the route then continues over the Humboldt Bridge, spanning the Tiefen See to Park Babelsberg. This park impresses with its unique sightline to the historic Glienicke Bridge. The park, which spans several hills, was started by Peter Joseph Lenné. From 1843, Hermann Fürst Pückler-Muskau continued the planning of the landscape garden based on Lennés system.Close by is Klein-Glienicke, the district of Potsdam between Park Babelsberg and the Glienicke Bridge, known for its picturesque Swiss houses, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.The Glienicke Bridge is located in the park landscape largely designed by Lenné. From here, you can see the Babelsberg Palace and Park, the Church of the Redeemer in Sacrow, and Glienicke Palace. The current bridge dates back to 1907. During the GDR era, the bridge marked the border to West Berlin. The Glienicke Bridge became famous during the Cold War due to the exchange of Western and Eastern spies between the Soviet Union and the USA.Between the Heiliger See and the Jungfernsee lies the New Garden below the Pfingstberg (Attention, the Ökonomieweg is currently closed to cyclists, please follow the diversion: www.spsg.de/schloesser-gaerten/objekt/neuer-garten). Here, there are some architectural gems to admire: the Marble Palace, the Orangery, the Dutch Establishments, the Shingle House, and the Gothic Library. The 102-hectare park was created in 1787 on behalf of Friedrich Wilhelm II by gardener Johann August Eyserbeck.Friedrich Wilhelm III and the Russian Tsar Alexander I were close friends. In order to express this friendship and honor the deceased Tsar, Friedrich had the Russian Colony Alexandrowka built in 1826. The garden of Alexandrowka was designed by Peter Joseph Lenné. Today, the ensemble is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.A garden of a different kind is located in the Bornim district of Potsdam. Here you will find the Karl Foerster Show Garden. This is where the perennial breeder and garden philosopher Karl Foerster (1874 to 1970) lived and worked. In 1912, he began creating a show and experimental area for perennials in his garden. Since 1981, it has been protected as the Karl Foerster Memorial Site.Nowhere is Prussias baroque heritage more splendid and romantic than in the Sanssouci Park. The terraced garden has existed since 1744. Under the successors of Frederick the Great, the now outdated Baroque garden was transformed into a landscape park style and expanded by Friedrich Wilhelm IV with additions such as Charlottenhof Palace, the Orangery, and the Roman Baths. Today, the palaces and parks in Potsdam are part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.Possibilities for combinations: Panoramic bike tour - Discover historical sightlinesAround the Templiner See - Bike ride into the blueInformation path Attention Border: The restricted area of the GDR in Potsdam 1961 to 1989Places of interest / worth knowing: Bicycle and e-bike rental Pedales Potsdam HauptbahnhofFreundschaftsinselBabelsberg Palace and ParkFlatow TowerKlein GlienickeGlienicke BridgeVilla SchöningenSchwanenalleeNew GardenCecilienhof PalaceRussian Colony AlexandrowkaAlexander Nevsky Memorial ChurchKarl Foerster Show GardenSanssouci Palace and ParkNew PalaceCharlottenhof PalaceRoman BathsChinese HouseLuisenplatz and Brandenburg Gate