Panoramic bike tour – Discover historical vistas

The panoramic bike tour offers the most beautiful views of Potsdam and its artfully designed parks. You'll follow in the footsteps of garden designers Peter Joseph Lenné, who, as royal garden director, significantly shaped Potsdam's garden landscape, and Hermann Prince von Pückler-Muskau, who primarily designed Babelsberg Park. The tour starts at the Old Market Square. Passing through the Nauener Gate, you'll first encounter the Russian Colony Alexandrowka, where you can enjoy Russian delicacies under the apple trees and experience the charm of the colony.

From here, the route leads to Pfingstberg Hill, crowned by the Belvedere Palace. King Frederick William IV, the "Romantic on the Throne," commissioned the Belvedere Pfingstberg. The sightlines within the park and palace landscape, extending as far as Peacock Island in Berlin, are deliberately orchestrated. From Pfingstberg Hill, the path continues through the New Garden with Cecilienhof Palace to the Glienicke Bridge. This bridge became a symbol of the division of Germany. Steven Spielberg filmed scenes for his movie "Bridge of Spies" here, depicting the 1962 American-Soviet spy exchange on this bridge. Finally, the route reaches Babelsberg Park with its imposing palace. Originally designed by Lenné, Hermann Prince von Pückler-Muskau added a jewel to the park: the now-restored cascading water features and babbling fountains. From here, the cycle path leads along the banks of the Havel River back to the main train station.

Length: 12 km
Start finish: Old Market/Potsdam Central Station
Conditions of the path: paved cycle paths and roads, paved park paths

Arrival and departure to Potsdam Central Station:

• Regional trains RE 1, RB 20, RB 21, RB 22, RB 23, RB 33
• S-Bahn S7
• various buses

Sights:

• Belvedere Pfingstberg
• Biosphere Potsdam
• Potsdam Film Museum
• Lindenstraße Memorial
• Museum FLUXUS+
• Museum Barberini
• Alexandrowka Museum and Café Uschakoff
• Natural History Museum
• Potsdam Museum
• Shipping White Fleet

Possible combinations

• European cycle route R1
• Havel bike path
• F1 – Around the Potsdam Havel lakes
• Old Fritz Cycle Route
• Queen Louise Cycle Route
• Cycling routes through historic city centers – Route 4
• Wall Trail

Maps / Literature:

"Cycling and hiking map of the Potsdam Havel lakes, the flower town of Werder and surroundings: Excursions between Ketzin, Michendorf and the Grunewald forest", 1:35.000, Barthel Publishing House, Austria; Edition: 4 (May 1, 2014), ISBN-13: 978-3895910883, €4,90

"Potsdam – Havelland – Fläming: Bicycle Map. GPS Accurate", 1:70000, KOMPASS Maps; Edition: 3 (March 1, 2016), ISBN-13: 978-3850262729, €7,99