We set off early in the morning from Dallgow-Döberitz, on the western outskirts of Berlin, to circle the capital in a wide arc over five days on the "66 Lakes Circular Trail". The almost 450-kilometre-long long-distance hiking trail leads along narrow paths and forest trails and only rarely rolls on asphalt. The hiking guide promises to take you "to the natural beauties around Berlin". Our itinerary is simple: we want to go from lake to lake - Berlin and Brandenburg have more than 3,000 of them - and if it's too hot on the way: into the water! The luggage travels ahead with the organiser, because without a rucksack, the nimble cross-country racing bikes with their studded tyres are even more fun. We can do without the suspension of a mountain bike: "The forest floor around Berlin is the best in Germany. Cushioning, springy and still good to ride even after rain," Mike Kluge, multiple cross-country world champion and Berlin native, had previously raved to us. Berlin has the best cross-country terrain in the whole country.
You can download the entire article and the GPS data for these tours below:
- Day 1: New Head Please (81 kilometres, 160 vertical metres, max. 4 percent gradient)
- Day 2: Trails, trails, trails (97 kilometres, 470 metres in altitude, max. 9 percent gradient)
- Day 3: First by the water and then the mountains! (81 kilometres, 380 metres in altitude, max. 9 percent gradient)
- Day 4: March Sea of Sand (79 kilometres, 270 metres in altitude, max. 5 percent gradient)
- Day 5: Through the Fläming to Potsdam (105 kilometres, 470 metres in altitude, max. 16 percent gradient)
