The journey to the source of the Havel begins in Waren (Müritz) and leads through the Müritz National Park. It enchants its visitors with beautiful forest paths and shallow lakeshores. About one hundred lakes sparkle here between ancient beech forests, sparse alder swamps and mysterious forest swamps.
In Ankershagen, the source of the Havel, the archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann once dreamed of excavating the legendary Troy. His childhood home, an 18th-century rectory, now houses a museum. Many of the "wonders" of the village described by Schliemann in his autobiography are still preserved today, such as the 13th-century village church, the Bronze Age burial mound at Glockenberg, and the robber baron's castle of Henning Bradenkierl.
In front of the southern gate of the Müritz National Park, the brick church of the quaint little town of Wesenberg greets you. Surrounded by numerous lakes, the bike path crosses the border to Brandenburg. Via Fürstenberg/Havel it goes to Oranienburg and Berlin-Spandau. Another highlight is the UNESCO World Heritage city of Potsdam. Through the fruit blossom town of Werder, the route leads to Brandenburg an der Havel. Passing the mighty Havelberg Cathedral, cyclists take in the final kilometers to the mouth of the Havel River.
Route characteristics:
The Mecklenburg section of the Havel Cycle Path is generally characterized by good bikeability. The route runs mainly through flat, sometimes hilly terrain, on paved and unpaved bike paths, quiet side roads or farm roads. Occasionally there are still smaller passages with cobblestones and concrete track.
The cycle path is signposted from the Havelquelle in Ankershagen. From Waren (Müritz) to Ankershagen please follow the signs of the Berlin-Copenhagen Cycle Route.
