# Brandenburg an der Havel 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. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/germany/brandenburg/brandenburg-an-der-havel · Revisado: 2026-11-12 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. ## What to see in a day 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. ## How do you get there from Berlin? 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. ## How much time do I need? 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. ## Where to eat and sleep 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. ## When to go 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. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Werder (Havel) (a 26.0 km), Potsdam (a 34.3 km), Berlin (a 58.5 km), Neuruppin (a 59.6 km) ## Qué hacer - **Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul and its museum** (1 h · All ages · Desde 5 € per person, the museum; families €15; children under 10 free): What it is The city of Brandenburg gave its name to the whole state, and this is where it began: on Dom island, between arms of the Havel, the bishopric was founded in 948 and the first stone of the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul was laid in 1165, a Romanesque brick building with Gothic additions. Inside there is a Bohemian altar and a medieval library with wall paintings. Its museum holds one of the largest treasuries of medieval liturgical textiles in Europe, including the Hungertuch of around 1290. Opening times and tickets In winter, from 2 November, the cathedral is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 15:00 and on Sundays and public holidays from 12:00 to 15:00; from 1 April, until 17:00. The museum is open from May to October, Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 and Sundays from 11:30 to 17:00: €5 (€3 concession, €15 family, free for under-10s). Some Fridays there are free guided tours at 16:00 and, in summer, organ music at midday. - **Boat trip on the Havel and its lakes** (2 h · All ages; under-6s free · Desde 19 € per person; children aged 6 to 13, half price): What it is Brandenburg is surrounded by water: here the Havel opens out into lakes. The Nordstern shipping company runs several scheduled routes: the two-hour city tour passes the cathedral, enters the Beetzsee with its Olympic regatta channel and the statue of Fritze Bollmann, continues along the Silokanal and returns via the Breitlingsee; the two-and-a-half-hour grand tour of the lakes also circles Kanincheninsel island; and the one-and-a-half-hour Fritze Bollmann trip tells the story of the city's most popular character. How it works The boats leave from the landing stages in the centre according to their seasonal timetable; check the calendar on their website and book online. The 2026 tickets cost €19 for one and a half hours, €22 for two hours, €25 for two and a half hours and €27 for three hours. Children aged 6 to 13 pay half price; under-6s go free. Dogs pay €2. - **Walk through Dom island, the Old Town and the New Town** (2 h · All ages; flat · Free): What it is For centuries Brandenburg was three separate towns: Dom island, with the cathedral; the Old Town, to the west, with its Gothic brick town hall and the five-metre statue of Roland in front of it; and the New Town, to the south, with the great church of St Catherine and Steinstraße, the pedestrian street. The arms of the Havel and their bridges both separate and join them. How it works On your own, in about two hours: start at the cathedral, cross to the New Town by the Mühlendamm, continue along Steinstraße to St Catherine's and cross the Millennium Bridge to the Old Town and its town hall. On the way you see the city from the water, with boats and fishermen's houses. - **The medieval gate towers** (1 h · All ages · Free): What it is Of Brandenburg's medieval wall, stretches and four brick gate towers remain. The Steintorturm, in the New Town, is 28.5 metres tall; the Mühlentorturm was built in 1411 by a master builder from Stettin; the other two are the Rathenower and the Plauer, in the Old Town. With their loopholes for crossbows and arquebuses, they are a textbook of the vertical defence system of the late Middle Ages. How it works On your own, combining them with the walk through the New and Old Towns. There are remains of the wall next to the Rathenower, in the Humboldthain and on the St.-Annen-Promenade. - **Guided tour of the old town** (1 h 30 · Adults and teenagers): What it is From 1 May to 30 September, the city's tourism company runs two guided tours of the old town every day: the Entdecker-Tour, the full one, and the Schnuppertour, which is shorter. They are in German; for a visitor from abroad they are useful above all for getting into places and finding your bearings. How it works Tickets are bought online or at the tourist office. The rest of the year there are themed tours on occasional dates, such as the one about Loriot, the humorist born in the city. ## Dónde comer - **Dominsel, restaurant and wine lounge** (Restaurant, Brandenburg an der Havel, €€). Qué pedir: the pike-perch or the braised ox cheek, with a wine from their lounge - **Kartoffelkäfer** (Restaurant, Brandenburg an der Havel, €). Qué pedir: a potato pancake with Würzfleisch or a gratin ## Car-free: Brandenburg an der Havel without a car 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. Presupuesto orientativo: 60–130 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Hotel am Molkenmarkt** (Hotel, desde 64 € / night): On the central square The Hotel am Molkenmarkt, run by the Mischker family, is in the heart of the New Town, on one of its squares: Steinstraße, the cathedral and the boats are all within walking distance. Many rooms look onto the square. The rooms 29 doubles (two adapted), six singles, two family rooms with three beds and a two-bedroom apartment for four. All have free wifi; the apartment has air conditioning. Buffet breakfast. According to the official listings, rooms start at €64 a night. Getting there and parking Arrival is from 15:00 to 19:00; if you arrive later, ask for an access code beforehand. Reception is open Monday to Saturday from 13:00 to 18:00. Payment is on arrival. By car, there is parking in the hotel courtyard at €7.50 a night. By train, the main station is about a 15-minute walk away. - **HavelHotel** (Hotel, desde 80 € / night): Next to the cathedral The HavelHotel is a three-star bed-and-breakfast hotel in a building from 1995 that the Protestant church put up beside the cathedral for its seminars. It is run by the same family as the Hotel am Molkenmarkt. You are on quiet Dom island, a few minutes' walk from the New Town. The rooms All have a balcony, boxspring beds that can be pushed together or kept apart, and a television. Buffet breakfast, free wifi, a lift, its own car park and garage spaces, where bikes are also kept, with somewhere to dry clothes: it is designed for people cycling the Havel route. According to the official listing, from €80 a night. Getting there Reception is open Monday to Saturday from 14:00 to 18:00; on Sunday, by prior notice. If you arrive later, call so they can give you the code. ### Servicios - **Brandenburg Hauptbahnhof**: The main station, with the direct RE1 regional train from Berlin and Potsdam; a tram to the centre or a 15-minute walk. ## By plane: Fly to Berlin and take the train to Brandenburg an der Havel 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. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Hotel am Molkenmarkt** (Hotel, desde 64 € / night): On the central square The Hotel am Molkenmarkt, run by the Mischker family, is in the heart of the New Town, on one of its squares: Steinstraße, the cathedral and the boats are all within walking distance. Many rooms look onto the square. The rooms 29 doubles (two adapted), six singles, two family rooms with three beds and a two-bedroom apartment for four. All have free wifi; the apartment has air conditioning. Buffet breakfast. According to the official listings, rooms start at €64 a night. Getting there and parking Arrival is from 15:00 to 19:00; if you arrive later, ask for an access code beforehand. Reception is open Monday to Saturday from 13:00 to 18:00. Payment is on arrival. By car, there is parking in the hotel courtyard at €7.50 a night. By train, the main station is about a 15-minute walk away. - **HavelHotel** (Hotel, desde 80 € / night): Next to the cathedral The HavelHotel is a three-star bed-and-breakfast hotel in a building from 1995 that the Protestant church put up beside the cathedral for its seminars. It is run by the same family as the Hotel am Molkenmarkt. You are on quiet Dom island, a few minutes' walk from the New Town. The rooms All have a balcony, boxspring beds that can be pushed together or kept apart, and a television. Buffet breakfast, free wifi, a lift, its own car park and garage spaces, where bikes are also kept, with somewhere to dry clothes: it is designed for people cycling the Havel route. According to the official listing, from €80 a night. Getting there Reception is open Monday to Saturday from 14:00 to 18:00; on Sunday, by prior notice. If you arrive later, call so they can give you the code. ### Servicios - **Brandenburg Hauptbahnhof**: The main station, with the direct RE1 regional train from Berlin and Potsdam; a tram to the centre or a 15-minute walk. ## By car: Brandenburg an der Havel by car 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. Presupuesto orientativo: 60–130 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel am Molkenmarkt** (Hotel, desde 64 € / night): On the central square The Hotel am Molkenmarkt, run by the Mischker family, is in the heart of the New Town, on one of its squares: Steinstraße, the cathedral and the boats are all within walking distance. Many rooms look onto the square. The rooms 29 doubles (two adapted), six singles, two family rooms with three beds and a two-bedroom apartment for four. All have free wifi; the apartment has air conditioning. Buffet breakfast. According to the official listings, rooms start at €64 a night. Getting there and parking Arrival is from 15:00 to 19:00; if you arrive later, ask for an access code beforehand. Reception is open Monday to Saturday from 13:00 to 18:00. Payment is on arrival. By car, there is parking in the hotel courtyard at €7.50 a night. By train, the main station is about a 15-minute walk away. - **HavelHotel** (Hotel, desde 80 € / night): Next to the cathedral The HavelHotel is a three-star bed-and-breakfast hotel in a building from 1995 that the Protestant church put up beside the cathedral for its seminars. It is run by the same family as the Hotel am Molkenmarkt. You are on quiet Dom island, a few minutes' walk from the New Town. The rooms All have a balcony, boxspring beds that can be pushed together or kept apart, and a television. Buffet breakfast, free wifi, a lift, its own car park and garage spaces, where bikes are also kept, with somewhere to dry clothes: it is designed for people cycling the Havel route. According to the official listing, from €80 a night. Getting there Reception is open Monday to Saturday from 14:00 to 18:00; on Sunday, by prior notice. If you arrive later, call so they can give you the code. ## As a family: Brandenburg an der Havel with children 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. ### What works best The boat trip on the Havel: under-6s free and ages 6 to 13 half price The walk through the three towns, flat and with bridges The gate towers, like a fairy-tale castle ### Where to stay Hotel am Molkenmarkt, with family rooms and an apartment for four ### Where to eat Kartoffelkäfer, everything with potato Dominsel, with a terrace by the water ### Worth knowing The boat runs from spring to autumn The cathedral museum is closed from November to April ### Qué hacer as a family - Boat trip on the Havel and its lakes - Walk through Dom island, the Old Town and the New Town - The medieval gate towers ## Consejos ### Combine it with Potsdam Same train, RE1, 20 minutes apart. ### Get a regional ticket The Berlin ABC does not reach here. ### Book the boat online In summer, weekends fill up. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How do I get from Berlin to Brandenburg an der Havel? On the RE1 regional from Berlin Hauptbahnhof, about 45 minutes with no changes. ### What is there to see in Brandenburg an der Havel? The cathedral and its museum, the three medieval centres with the Roland and St Catherine's, and the lakes by boat. ### Is it the same as the state of Brandenburg? No: it is the city that gave the state its name. The state capital is Potsdam. ### How much does the boat cost? From €19 for an hour and a half to €27 for three hours. ### Can you go in winter? Yes, but without boats or the cathedral museum; better together with Potsdam.