Bike Touring Collection by komoot
4-7
days
3-5 h
/ day
233 mi
4,525 ft
5,650 ft
Between Dresden and Zittau springs the Spree, the longest tributary of Germany. On her way to Berlin, she makes her way across the wild East and leads you past the Lusatian Lakes, through the Spreewald and over and over again into towns and villages, where you can experience authentic Sorbian culture.
Over 233 miles (375 kilometers) long, we have divided the full route from the source to Berlin into six intermediate stages, which are all between 35 and 43 miles (55 and 70 kilometers) long. Only the first day is truly hilly, as you are going up to the Spreequelle on the Kottmar. Day by day, the stages are flatter, but no less varied.
While the Spree in the upper reaches is a romantic brook, it branches out in the Spreewald Biosphere Reserve into a labyrinth of rivers and canals and flows proudly into the capital as a stately river. In between, you will find hundreds of lakes, ponds and pools. Many were created by human hands, the Spree is repeatedly dammed and the coal mines were flooded. This created beautiful recreational areas and perfect landscapes for a bike ride.
But also culturally, this Collection is varied and multifaceted. When you ride through the land of the Sorbs, you see not only on the bilingual place signs. In several museums or in a park you learn a lot about the Slavic population. In addition, interesting cities are always on your way, such as Bautzen, Cottbus and Fürstenwalde or medieval castles and villages.
The Spreeradweg is very popular, and the infrastructure is well developed. Nevertheless, off the route you will always find small lakes where you are completely alone. Many bike paths are paved or good mobile gravel roads. Occasionally you will meet the good old "Honecker parquet", ie concrete slab paths. Meals are provided by many inns and supermarkets in the cities and towns along the way. Similarly, you will find a variety of accommodation, from the campsite to the spa hotel. Good orientation offers you spreeradweg.de.
To get to the starting point in Ebersbach, you can easily travel from Dresden by train and the destination is connected to the Berlin S-Bahn. Once you reach the eastern edge of Berlin, the official Spreeradweg ends. If you ride for another 30 kilometers, you can drive along the European cycle route R1 once across Berlin to Spandau, where the Spree flows into the Havel. An exciting contrast to the lonely areas of Brandenburg and Saxony.
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Last updated: November 16, 2021
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In front of you is a beautiful and very varied bike path along the Spree, the longest tributary in Germany.
It starts in Ebersbach, which you reach well by train. You can also start a bit closer to the source in Eibau, but there are fewer trains than in Ebersbach.
Since the Spree rises at Kottmar at an…
by komoot
Today you have the longest leg of your journey in front of you, but on the whole much less gradients. Let's go over the Peace Bridge with a beautiful view of Bautzen, whose old town you are walking around on the Spree.
Today is marked by countless lakes and ponds. Many of them are artificial, for instance…
by komoot
Get recommendations on the best single tracks, peaks, & plenty of other exciting outdoor places.
Today you can expect a very beautiful route with well-developed bike paths. You see the Spree in different facets, such as north of Spremberg, where it is dammed to a large lake or in the afternoon in the Spreewald, where the Spree is transformed into a river labyrinth.
Almost exactly halfway through…
by komoot
The fourth stage of the Spreeradweg is all about the Spreewald. The Spreewald is very well known for the delicious cucumbers and the tourists who are driven by boat through the extensive system of canals.
But the Spreewald can do more. It is also a Biosphere Reserve of UNESCO, which has set itself the…
by komoot
You have left the Spreewald and now drive through dense alluvial forests of the ever-widening Spree, which you cross more often today. In Leißnitz you do not do this over a bridge, but with the last hand-operated ferry in Brandenburg.
To the left or right of the Spree, which has formed several lakes and…
by komoot
At the end of your journey you follow the river loop of the river Spree to Erkner. Officially, you have arrived at the end of the Spreeradweg and can now board the train for Berlin.
Optional extension
We will show you a nice and interesting way to Köpenick. From here you are also quickly by train in the…
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