A Guide To Cycling Berlin

Some of the best resources and routes for cycling in and around Berlin…

There are many good reasons for cycling in the city, ranging from the obvious health and environmental benefits to the way we bike riders get to weave effortlessly through traffic jams and just generally look good.

Riding a bike in Berlin is an especially attractive idea though, thanks to the relatively flat terrain, broad streets, and a reasonably decent bike-lane infrastructure.

It’s not quite the cycling paradise of Copenhagen or even Amsterdam, but with around 900km of cycle paths and routes stretching across the city and beyond – and plans already afoot to expand on this – Berlin is a lot more amenable to biking culture than London or Paris.

Below we’ve rounded up some of our favourite cycling routes and tours that will help get you out and about. We’ve tried to include something for everyone, from novices to experts.

Through The City: Guided & Self-Guided Tours

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Image by Paul Sullivan.

Taking one of the city’s many cycling tours is a good way to get into the cycling vibe. Sports fans can check out this self-guided football-themed tour, which offers a selection of routes around football-related venues like the Olympic Stadium and the Alte Försterei or explore some of the city’s foraging sites.

The Guardian has a few interesting (and easy) themed routes too, spanning the Socialist East, Architecture and WW2. If you’re keen to get to know the city’s main neighbourhoods a bit better, the Visit Berlin page offers a pretty broad array of self-guided options ranging from tours of Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg and Mitte, to scenic rides further out in Wannsee and along the Teltow Canal.

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The Guardian’s Socialist East route.

History and nature buffs can also take advantage of the city’s unique Berlin Wall Trail. Opened almost 10 years ago, it takes cyclists (and walkers) past a whole range of central tourist sights as well as through the myriad lakes and forests that dot the Brandenburg countryside.

It’s possible to cycle the entire 160 km in a weekend (or even a day), but those not seeking an endurance challenge can instead tackle one of 14 individual sections, which ran…

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