From Havelberg I took the Havel bike-path (which on my stretch runs parallel to the Havelland bike-path) all the way to Rathenau.

Shortly before entering Rathenau I took a right turn to the campsite in Steckelsdorf, as my guidebook explained it was located at a nice lake and would be perfect for an afternoon swim. That was the case so I could enjoy a nice and cold swim, the obligatory ice cream and relax. By then I had figured, I’d be taking the train back from Rathenau to Berlin, so I was in no real hurry.

In Rathenau I missed the train by about 3 minutes, as I was wasting time on the ticket machine, trying to persuade it to sell me a bike-ticket. But as trains ran hourly that wasn’t a great problem. The train headed straight for Berlin central station, and from there on my legs propelled me the last 7km, for an all up day-count of 62km. Slowly does it, and by suppertime I was sprawled out on my balcony, enjoying a drink in the sun.

Conclusion

I really liked this trip:

• The bike-path was beautifully signposted and well maintained.
• Campsites were cheap, as was public transport to Hamburg and my train-rides in between
• I’d really like to go back and close the gaps I created by taking the train. Especially the Havel bike-path, as it leads all the way into Berlin.

Only two negative aspects:

• Don’t travel on a sunny fathers-day in Germany. Everybody was out and about and a dike only leaves that much room to overtake elderly walkers whilst facing oncoming traffic.
• Headwind: Although going upstream was the recommend direction wind-wise, somehow the wind decided not to play along with it. Cycling into headwinds for a longer period of time is strenuous, time consuming and unforgettably frustrating as you are wasting a lot of energy and getting nowhere. But I don’t think it’s fair to complain, considering the beautiful sunshine I had on all three days.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this tour!