Reinickendorf by bike
This bike tour leads through the north of the city along blue lakes, to the oldest tree and to tasty biscuits. Tip: Bring your swimwear! The start of the tour is at the Borsigwerke underground station. Please note that the station does not have a lift. Right upon existing the underground you can see an impressive architectural monument from the period of industrialisation: the Borsigwerke (Borsig factory). The view first falls on the gate of the former Borsigwerke built in 1898, which was once part of the second largest locomotive supplier in the world. With the Borsig tower, Berlin received its first high-rise building relatively late in 1922 and away from the city centre. Now it's time for the countryside, to the second largest lake known for its clear, clean waters: Lake Tegel. Cycle along "Am Borsigturm" street, turn right onto "Medebacher Weg" and then turn left onto Veitstraße. A small road branches off of Einsenhammerweg that takes you directly to the Greenwichpromenade.
Greenwichpromenade
The promenade at Lake Tegel is a popular destination. Starting from the dock, boat tours leave for the Havel River, Wannsee and the government district. It is worth taking a walk on the promenade, which was completely redesigned a few years ago, and in the summer taking a break with some refreshing ice cream. Now cross the Tegel port and the Tegel stream and take a look at the post-modern residential buildings, which were created at the International Building Exhibition 1984-1987. Turn right at Gabrielenstraße. The second road on the left is Adelheidallee, which brings you to Schloss Tegel (Tegel Castle), also called the Humboldt Castle.
The manor by Karl Friedrich Schinkel is the childhood home of the Humboldt brothers. Today it is privately owned and can be visited only on Mondays with a guided tour. Turn and now continue back to Gabrielenstraße until you reach the "Große Malche" shore. About 300 metres on the shore to the north, the "Dicke Marie" puts down its roots, which at 800 years old is the oldest tree in Berlin. According to legend, the Humboldt brothers named the tree after their portly cook. Follow the Große Malche way until it opens up into the Schwarzer Weg. We continue to the left and then on the north shore of Lake Tegel along to Tegelort. Cycle on the lakefront west past the Tegel forest. After about 2 km you reach the beach at Lake Tegel, which is unfortunatly closed now.
Tour card
You should also make a stop on the other side of the Schwarzer Weg: there are enclosures here for wild boar, mouflon and fallow deer. At the fork of the Schwarzer Weg, turn right on Jörsstraße. Just before it ends at the Havel, turn left onto the Friederiekestraße. Once arrived at the Tegelort shore, you can then take the ferry to Spandau and continue cycling on the Spandau borough tour. Or take the path on the shore back to the starting point.
Extra tour for a sweet tooth
Rather than cycling directly to the underground station Borsigwerke, a detour to the Märkisches Viertel and to the Bahlsen factory outlet store is recommended. If you like biscuits and want to get a bargain, take leave of green, water-rich Tegel now. Go back to the Dicke Marie and past Schloss Tegel on Gabrielenstraße, but on the right hand side take the street An der Mühle. This crosses Karolinenstraße and becomes the multi-lane Waidmannsluster Damm, which has a cycle path. Turn right onto Ziekowstraße. Before you pass Nordgraben, take the left path. After 1.5 km along the Nordgraben, you will pass Steinberg Park.
Take this past Steinbergsee and take Am Packereigraben at the exit of the park to the Rosentreterpromenade. Immediately on the left you will cycle onto the street Lange Enden. This ends at Hermsdorfer Straße. On the other side, Blomberger Weg then takes you further. At the end of the road you reach Cyclopstraße ,which you cycle onto on the right. You come into Görscheplatz from the left and then turn sharply left onto Oranienburger Straße. On the left side you will see the Bahlsen factory outlet (house number 173).
Tip: Bahlsen factory outlet store
At the Bahlsen factory outlet store you can buy biscuits and chocolate as broken / damaged goods for cheaper than at the store from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm and on Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm. Once you have the pastries safely tucked away in the bicycle basket or knapsack, you hop back on the pedals southwards on Oranienburger Straße and turn left onto Schlitzer Straße. Follow this road until Ulrichsteiner Weg on the right side. Take the second left onto Maarer Straße until Engelroder Weg where you turn right. You will be taken to Finsterwalder Straße that takes you directly to Seggeluch reservoir and the Märkisches Viertel.
The Märkisches Viertel
The high-rise settlement from 1974 was once considered a showcase of modern urban layout before its image obtained a negative connotation. Today, the image of the Märkisches Viertel has changed again for the better on account of numerous measures. Another, large housing settlement of West Berlin similar in size is the Gropiusstadt in Neukölln. The high-rise buildings are striking and visible from afar. To get to the end point of the tour, ride Finsterwalder Straße to Wilhelmsruher Damm. Turn right and follow this up to the underground / commuter railway tram station Wittenau (with lift). You can easily travel home from here.
