Potsdam - Heiligensee

From Potsdam main station, follow the E10 along the Neustädter Havel Bay and the western side of the Havel River. At Kastanienallee, turn right onto the 66-Lakes route and follow the road to Sanssouci Park. Unfortunately, cycling is prohibited on most paths here, so I shortened the 66-Lakes route a bit by following the main paths past Neues Palais and Orangerie at Bornstedter See to rejoin the route. With a short climb, you cross the Ruinenberg, then ride through the Russian Colony to the "Neuer Garten" park area, where due to the cycling ban neither the Marble Palace nor Schloss Cecilienhof can be seen from the bike path.

In the residential area between "Neuer Garten" and Pfingstberg, you can explore the secret service town "Military Town No.7" on a historical trail: this was the German headquarters of Soviet military espionage for almost 50 years.

After Pfingstberg, ride along the B2 to the town exit, then west along the forest edge to Nedlitz. Behind Nedlitz, you go through a short forest and across fields until you cross the Sacrow-Paretz Canal via the B273. On the north side of the canal you ride to Marquardt castle park. Through the town to the north past the B273 along the road, then parallel to the railway on a secluded path further north. A fence at the railway yard apparently blocks further passage, but the route marking with the blue dot can be seen directly behind it (see picture 16). Bypass the fence and just stubbornly stay on the path.

The path then turns west; once you have crossed the motorway, you ride quite secluded along the fields on a beautiful stretch to the Havel Canal.

Behind Karpzow, the path directly along the canal is rather difficult to ride and can be briefly bypassed via the L204. Then it continues to Wustermark on a nice path along the canal. In Wustermark, switch to the east side of the canal. Underpass the B5, where you are led back to the west side via a road. From here it goes on a heavily trafficked country road to Zeestow, then again along the canal to Brieselang.

The path through Brieselang is both long and boring, so I took a shortcut north at the station. Behind the town, the path leads through a beautiful forest until you cross the Havel Canal via the L201. After that, the route now leads east on a quiet path through woods and fields, partly again along the canal.

Crossing the L16 in the forest, the path becomes very sandy and hard to ride until Schönwalde-Glien. Behind Schönwalde, progress improves initially; after passing L20, it becomes sandy again, but eventually you arrive on a well-developed bike path in front of Hennigsdorf, also frequented by many skaters.

In Hennigsdorf, I then got somewhat lost looking for the right path towards Heiligensee, so I had to ride a short stretch back along the Mauerweg by the Havel to get to Heiligensee.