52.41° N · 12.56° E
45 minutes from Berlin by train: the Romanesque cathedral where the March of Brandenburg was born, three medieval centres between arms of the Havel and a boat trip on its lakes.
What to do
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Cathedral · 1 h · Museum €5 · The Romanesque cathedral on Dom island, cradle of the March of Brandenburg, with a treasury of medieval textiles
Boat · 1 h 30 – 3 h · From €19 · From the cathedral to the lakes Beetzsee and Breitlingsee, with the Nordstern Reederei
Walk · 2 h · Free · Three medieval cores joined by bridges over the Havel: the town hall's Roland, St Catherine's and Steinstraße
Itineraries
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
From May to September, with boats on the lakes, daily guided tours and the cathedral museum open. In winter the cathedral is open until 15:00 and it is a quiet city for a short stroll.
How you travel
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
It is one of the easiest trips from Berlin without a car: the direct RE1, about 45 minutes, and in town everything is on foot or by boat. It can be combined with Potsdam, which is on the same line.
You fly to Berlin: BER airport has direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities. From central Berlin, the RE1 regional train reaches Brandenburg an der Havel in about 45 minutes; from the airport, take a train to Berlin Hauptbahnhof or to Potsdam and the RE1 from there.
About 80 km from central Berlin, via the ring road and the A2, in around an hour and a quarter. A car makes sense if you are continuing to the Havel lakes or to Potsdam by minor roads.
Who you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
A flat city, surrounded by water and with boats: with children, the boat comes first, and the rest is a stroll with an ice cream and brick towers.
Where to stay
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Why we like it: Family-run hotel in the centre, on the Molkenmarkt square in the New Town, with family rooms, an apartment and courtyard parking.
Why we like it: Three-star hotel next to the cathedral, on Dom island, with a balcony in every room, a lift and a garage.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
What to order: the pike-perch or the braised ox cheek, with a wine from their lounge
What to order: a potato pancake with Würzfleisch or a gratin
Map
The places to stay and services on the map are the ones for the way you travel. Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
Nearby
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
52.38° N · 12.94° E
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52.40° N · 13.07° E
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52.52° N · 13.41° E
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52.92° N · 12.81° E
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Tips
Same train, RE1, 20 minutes apart.
The Berlin ABC does not reach here.
In summer, weekends fill up.
Brandenburg an der Havel is the city that gave its name to the whole state surrounding Berlin, and the oldest in it. Here, on an island in the Havel, a bishopric was founded in 948 and in the twelfth century the March of Brandenburg began, the origin of Prussia. Today it is a quiet medium-sized city, 45 minutes by train from Berlin, surrounded by water on all sides: the Havel opens out into lakes and runs through it in several arms.
For a traveller from Spain it is a different day trip from Potsdam, on the same railway line: fewer palaces and more medieval brick city, with a Romanesque cathedral, three old centres linked by bridges and boats on the lakes.
The Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul. Romanesque brick, begun in 1165 on the Dom island. Its museum, open from May to October, holds a treasure of medieval textiles unique in Europe.
The walk through the three towns. From the Dom island to the New Town, with the pedestrian Steinstraße and the great church of St Catherine, and from there to the Old Town, with the Gothic town hall and the stone Roland in front of it. On the way, the gate towers of the city wall.
The boat trip on the Havel. The way to understand the city: two hours on the lakes Beetzsee and Breitlingsee, from €19.
From May to September, the tourist office runs daily guided tours.
By train, the RE1 regional runs direct from Berlin Hauptbahnhof in about 45 minutes and passes through Potsdam. You need a regional ticket: the city is outside the ABC zone. From the main station, take the tram or walk 15 minutes to the centre.
By car, about 80 km via the Berlin ring road and the A2, around an hour and a quarter. Both hotels in the centre have parking.
One day covers the cathedral, the walk through the three centres and a two-hour boat trip. If you link it with Potsdam, sleep in one or the other and do the two cities over two days on the same train.
The Dominsel cooks seasonal food beside the water, next to the cathedral, and opens at midday on Sunday. On Steinstraße, the Kartoffelkäfer makes everything with potato and is open every day from 11:00. To sleep, the Hotel am Molkenmarkt, in the centre, with family rooms, or its sister, the HavelHotel, next to the cathedral, with a balcony in every room.
From May to September, when the boats run, there are guided tours every day and the cathedral museum is open. In winter the cathedral closes at 15:00 and it is best to combine the visit with Potsdam.
Questions
On the RE1 regional from Berlin Hauptbahnhof, about 45 minutes with no changes.
The cathedral and its museum, the three medieval centres with the Roland and St Catherine's, and the lakes by boat.
No: it is the city that gave the state its name. The state capital is Potsdam.
From €19 for an hour and a half to €27 for three hours.
Yes, but without boats or the cathedral museum; better together with Potsdam.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/germany/brandenburg/brandenburg-an-der-havel
