Variant 2 FONTANE.RAD – from Werder (Havel) to Brandenburg an der Havel

A tour much to Fontane's taste, featuring diverse scenic beauty, history and culture. It is a tour of contrasts through different worlds, even going back as far as the Middle Ages. Between Petzow and Lehnin there will soon be a new cycle path, and the railway station in Götz allows the tour to be shortened.

This tour variant of the FONTANE.RAD route leads from Werder (Havel) away from the main route via Kloster Lehnin and along the Götzer Berge hills and Mittlere Havel to Brandenburg an der Havel. At the start of this variant, it is worth taking a round trip through Werder (Havel) at any time of the year – the town is well-known beyond the region, not just for its flower festival. The next stop is Glindow. In addition to the brickworks museum, another impressive sight here is the so-called Glindower Alpen – deep gorges formed as a result of clay mining. In Geltow, Fontane was fascinated by the contrast between new and old. At the next stop, Petzow Palace dominates the scenery with its blend of Moorish fort and English Tudor style. The tour continues to Kloster Lehnin with its impressive medieval monastery walls. The landscape around the Götzer Berge hills and along the Havel river is marked by high pine forests. There is a railway station in Götz to shorten the tour. Finally, the tour ends in the historic city centre of Brandenburg with its mighty cathedral.

Length: 33 or 51 kilometres (3 – 4.5 hours)

Start: Werder (Havel), finish: Brandenburg an der Havel

Logo/route sign: FONTANE.RAD against a grey background

How to get there: From Berlin central station take the RE 1 regional train (Brandenburg Hauptbahnhof) to Werder (Havel) (approximately 40 minutes).

Return journey: From Brandenburg central station take the RE 1 regional train (Frankfurt (Oder)/Cottbus) to Berlin central station (Hauptbahnhof) (approximately 50 minutes).

Route: Werder (Havel), Petzow, Kloster Lehnin, Götz, Reckahn (detour), Brandenburg an der Havel

Points of interest and background information:

• Werder (Havel) historic town centre
• Glindower Alpen
• Baumgartenbrücke Geltow (bridge)
• Petzow village church and park
• Lehnin Cistercian monastery
• Götzer Berge (hills)
• Historic town centre with Brandenburg an der Havel cathedral

Possible combinations:

• FONTANE.RAD day tour 7 from Brandenburg an der Havel via Plaue
• FONTANE.RAD main route from Oranienburg to Potsdam

Trail conditions/surface: 75% asphalted – 25% non-asphalted, from 2020 asphalted cycle path between Bliesendorf and Lehnin

Maps/Literature:

• For full tour details, see Tourguide FONTANE.RAD and Radkarte.

You will find full details of the cycle route on the website FONTANE.RAD.