Paddling tour – From Griebnitzsee to Glienicke Bridge and back
Lake Griebnitz is part of the picturesque Havel lakes landscape and, with a paddle rental station at the Griebnitzsee S-Bahn station, an ideal starting point for a paddle tour through Potsdam's park and palace landscape – by canoe, kayak or SUP.
On the southern shore of the lake, you first paddle along the villa colony Neubabelsberg. Here, one architectural pearl follows the next like a precious chain. Whoever owned a villa on the southern shore of Lake Griebnitz in the 19th century was usually of high rank. The proximity to the film studios also made the villa colony attractive for filmmakers. One of the most famous villas on the shore of the lake is Villa Urbig by star architect Mies van der Rohe, also known as Churchill Villa. During the Potsdam Conference, the British prime minister resided here, among others. Today, the estate belongs to SAP co-founder Hasso Plattner.
The extensive area of Park Babelsberg extends to the villa colony Neubabelsberg. The first German emperor, Wilhelm I, spent his summers in the English-style Babelsberg Palace. Wilhelm I dictated to his neighbors at Griebnitzsee that they should not build their houses "too ostentatious on the street side" so as not to incur the people's displeasure. As a result, many villas only reveal their full beauty on the shore side.
The destination of the tour is the Glienicke Bridge – during the German-German division agents were exchanged here and in 1989 the reunification was celebrated. The return tour leads along the northern shore of the lake. This impresses with its untouched nature – with fallen trees and a wide reed belt it offers the ideal habitat for gray herons, comorants or beavers.
Duration: approx. 3 h
Length: approx. 7 km
Start/finish: bike and paddle station at the S-Bahn station Griebnitzsee
Arrival/departure by public transport: S-Bahn station Griebnitzsee
Getting there:
by bicycle (a service of komoot GmbH)
by public transport (a service of VBB)
by train (a service of Bahn AG)
All about local traffic
Features and categories:
The above entry is a service of TMB Tourismus Marketing Brandenburg GmbH. For content changes please contact Potsdam Marketing and Service GmbH.