Day 1 — North and central Mauerweg: from Bernauer Straße to Spandau
- 🚲 Start: Bernauer Straße area / Berlin Wall Memorial. Finish: Spandau or western Berlin by the Havel. Distance: ≈52 km. Pure riding time: 3.5–4.5 hours. Elevation gain: about 120–170 m, mostly barely noticeable rolling terrain. Surface: mostly asphalt and good urban bike paths, with some park paths and short sections of compact gravel. Difficulty: easy. It is best to start the morning at the Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer on Bernauer Straße: this is the most illustrative starting point, where you can clearly see how the border strip ran. From there, the route goes through the northern quarters of the former wall, past Mauerpark and greener sections toward the west. The main stops along the way are Mauerpark for a short break, the Nieder Neuendorf / Hennigsdorf area for the feeling of the route’s “outer ring,” and Spandau Citadel / the Havel waterfront as a beautiful end to the day. It is easy to restock water and food in Gesundbrunnen, Reinickendorf, and Spandau: there are many supermarkets, bakeries, and kiosks literally 2–5 minutes from the track. For an average tourist, this day is realistic because the profile is almost flat, the section breaks down well into short segments, and you can leave the route for an S-Bahn or U-Bahn almost anywhere if you get tired. Road nuances: in the center there are many traffic lights and local traffic, and pedestrians are common on popular park sections; it is best to ride calmly, especially on weekends. In the northwest there are quieter green corridors, but after rain some unpaved parts may get muddy. Overnight: it is convenient to stay in the western part of the route or return by regional train/S-Bahn to a central hotel if you prefer a single city base.
