- Potsdam is under half an hour from central Berlin by S-Bahn or regional train
- Punt or paddle the Spreewald canals from Lübbenau or Lübben
- Lakes and forests make it ideal for cycling and canoeing
- Berlin's airport is in Brandenburg, so arrival is easy
- Airports
- Berlin Brandenburg (BER)
- Best time to go
- May-September
- Type
- Region
Brandenburg surrounds Berlin on all sides, and most UK visitors first meet it without realising: Berlin Brandenburg Airport sits just over the state line. Beyond the capital's suburbs it is a quiet, green state of pine forest, sandy heath and an extraordinary number of lakes, linked by rivers and canals.
It works best as an add-on to a Berlin trip, with Potsdam and the Spreewald both doable as day trips, but it also rewards a slower few days of cycling or canoeing. For more on the country, see our Germany guide.
Things to do
- Potsdam – the Prussian kings' summer capital, with Frederick the Great's Sanssouci Palace, terraced vineyards, the New Palace and the Cecilienhof, where the Potsdam Conference was held in 1945. Read our Potsdam guide.
- The Spreewald – a UNESCO biosphere reserve where the River Spree splits into hundreds of channels. Traditional flat-bottomed punts carry visitors between villages such as Lübbenau and Lehde, and the region is famous for its pickled gherkins.
- Lake country – the Ruppin lakes, the Scharmützelsee and the lakes of the Uckermark are good for swimming, sailing and canoe trips in summer.
- Chorin Abbey – the atmospheric ruins of a red-brick Cistercian monastery, which hosts a summer music festival.
- Niederfinow boat lifts – two giant ship lifts raise barges up and down the Oder-Havel Canal, an unusual and oddly mesmerising sight.
- Branitz Park, Cottbus – a landscape garden created by the eccentric Prince Pückler, complete with earth pyramids in a lake.
- Rheinsberg – a lakeside palace associated with the young Frederick the Great, in a small and peaceful town.
- Tropical Islands – an indoor tropical resort with pools and a beach, built inside a vast former airship hangar south of Berlin.
Where to stay
- Potsdam – the obvious base, with hotels and guesthouses within reach of the palaces and fast trains into Berlin.
- Lübbenau or Lübben – stay overnight in the Spreewald to enjoy the waterways in the quiet early morning and evening.
- Neuruppin and the Ruppin lakes – a relaxed base for water sports and cycling.
- Berlin – many visitors simply stay in the capital and travel out each day.
Getting there
Fly to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), which has direct flights from many UK airports. From there, regional trains reach Potsdam in under an hour and the Spreewald in around an hour or so, often via Berlin or Königs Wusterhausen.
By rail, travel via Eurostar to Brussels and connect through Cologne or Amsterdam for trains to Berlin; it is a long day but straightforward. A Brandenburg-Berlin day ticket for regional trains is good value if you are making several trips.
Best time to visit
May to September is best for boating, swimming and cycling. Spring brings blossom to Werder, near Potsdam, which holds a well-known tree blossom festival. Autumn colours in the Spreewald are lovely and crowds thin out, though some boat operators run reduced services from late October.
In the Spreewald, renting a canoe or kayak lets you explore the smaller channels away from the busier punt routes.
Top attractions in Brandenburg
LandmarkBrandenburg Gate
Berlin's neoclassical city gate, crowned by the Quadriga, once trapped behind the Wall and now the symbol of a reunited…
LandmarkEast Side Gallery
The longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall, painted in 1990 by artists from around the world and now an open-air…
LandmarkNeuschwanstein Castle
King Ludwig II's fairy-tale castle on a crag in the Bavarian Alps, the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Brandenburg on the map
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit Potsdam as a day trip from Berlin?
Yes. S-Bahn line S7 and regional trains run from central Berlin to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof, and the journey usually takes about 25 to 40 minutes. Allow a full day if you want to see the palaces and park properly.
How do I get to the Spreewald?
Regional trains run from Berlin to Lübbenau and Lübben in roughly an hour. Punt tours start a short walk from the stations.
Is Brandenburg good for cycling?
Very. It is mostly flat, with long-distance routes such as the Berlin-Copenhagen cycle route and the Spreewald cycle network, plus quiet lanes between lakes.
Written by
Thomas Ski, mountains & expeditions editor
Thomas is happiest above the tree line or below the Antarctic Circle. He writes our ski, mountain and polar expedition guides.
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