The vast majority of this 50km stretch (not counting the ferry crossing of the Wannsee) of the Mauerradweg meanders through rural landscapes: along maybe a dozen of Brandenburg’s 3,000 lakes and through lush meadows, shady timber plantations, and wilder forests of birch and beech. There are even a couple of *gasp* steep hills (short ones, tho; this ain’t Bavaria). The path in this segment is almost all gorgeously paved with a few stretches of decent dirt and just a couple blessedly short but fully obnoxious cobblestone sections (cobblestones are rough no matter what, but with 20-inch tires, they’re hellacious). This time of year–between the blooming linden trees, wild roses, mock orange, and lilies-of-the-valley–nearly the whole route smelled like a perfumer’s shop. Wild burdock, poppies, flax, and rapeseed flower sprinkled additional colors along the margins of farmers’ fields while big picture-perfect spring clouds drifted overhead. The route connects a couple of nice-looking beer gardens as well. It’s hard to imagine a finer day’s ride.
This segment (at least the way I did it), ends with a crossing of the Wannsee, a big lake south of Berlin that is unfortunately probably most famous for the Wannsee Conference. The mansion that hosted the Nazis looks just like all the other wedding-cake villa decorating the lakefront. The ferry crossing to Wannsee Station is covered by a normal BVG public-transportation ticket, has nice racks for bicycles, and motors by the Pfaueninsel–where a gaggle of peacocks originally marooned there by one Prussian king or another now have the run of the place–as well as past fleets of sailboats and beach clubs just now setting out their lounge chairs for the summer.
The Rookery 