Prussian palaces, historic windmills, Gothic churches and lots and lots of nature – that’s what awaits you on the Rund um Berlin cycle route, which opens in Brandenburg this month for the 2021 summer season. You already know the Ringbahn and the Berliner Ring, but this orbital route is made for two wheels, offering 330km of countryside cycling that is fully integrated with Berlin’s public transport network. Developed by Berlin and Brandenberg’s regional parks association, the idea is simple: just take your bike on the train to one of 28 starting stations and join the route from there. The stretch comprises cycle paths and calm roads that take you through forests, meadows and tranquil villages. And if the idea of cycling 330km seems daunting, not to worry: the route is divided into 11 stages, which you can sample on the discovery day on 29.05.2021 which marks the launch of the project. Join one of five tours of between 20km and 60km in length with an expert from the Allgemeine Deutsche Fahrrad-Club as your guide.

Tour 3 for instance meets at Hennigsdorf station and takes you on a 3-4 hour route past the baroque Schloss Schwante and the Bockwindmühle Vehlefanz – one of the oldest remaining windmills in the country – with additional stops at a milk vending machine and the farm shop at Spargelhof Kremmen so you can recharge your batteries. To finish, the tour heads to the station at Kremmen where you can take the train back to Berlin via Spandau or Hennigsdorf. Who knew cycling in a circle could be this fun?

Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Gröschel Branding

Rund Um Berlin – to register for one of the free discovery day tours send an email to entdeckertag@groeschel-branding.de with your name, address and the tour you would like to take part in.

@radring.rundumberlin

What better way to use all this time during lockdown than by connecting with the land around you? Well Brandenburg natives Ulrike and Laura have done just that: the two hikers have been documenting their countryside walks and bike rides on their Wanderfreundinnen (“hiking buddies”) Instagram channel, giving advice on where to go and sharing beautiful images along the way. The pair have been friends for 12 years, and between studying hotel and tourism management and working in the music business, the two have made it their mission to show everyone how beautiful Berlin’s neighboring state really is. To accompany their page, they have a Komoot profile where they share all their routes with distances, times, locations and images. Ulrike and Laura’s favorite destination is Märkische Schweiz, a starting point for various routes that are suitable for all different fitness levels and interests.

One such trail is the Höhenweg, a 22km hike that takes about six hours and includes a nature park, the beautiful Schermützelsee lake and a path through fairytale woodland. Other recommended routes include the Schlaubetal valley and the beech forests of Grumsin. Besides routes, the pair are full of handy advice to help you make the most of the countryside: always plan your route, try to make it a circle, give yourself enough time for breaks (don’t forget the all-important snacks) and – crucially – wear comfortable shoes. The page is full of positivity and inspiration and is enlivened with personal insights and striking photographs. In sum: the perfect guide to getting out in the greenery.

Text: Lottie Mac / Photos: Wanderfreundinnen

Wanderfreundinnen

@wanderfreundinnen

Your partner is somebody you see all the time. But when was the last time you really “saw” them? Taking a moment to genuinely connect with your loved one is precisely what the partner yoga sessions from Soul Y Luna are all about. As you come together on the mat, you and your partner support, touch and move each other through an hour or so of shared asanas that gently encourage openness and closeness. Guiding you through the class are two healers: San Francisco-born yoga teacher Flor and her real-life partner Yazan, a dancer and massage practitioner from Damascus. Even over Zoom, you feel the pair’s own intimacy when they invite you to join them as they move together in their Potsdam apartment. Although yoga should never be goal-oriented, there is a clear, simple intention behind Yazan and Flor’s sessions: “Feel your body, free your mind”. In one of the exercises, you are asked to stare straight into the eyes of your partner for an extended period. The experience feels awkward, funny – and deeply emotional.

The couple started the project at the beginning of 2021 with the goal of giving people an opportunity to reconnect. “It can be really difficult to make space for intimacy when you’re busy with life and work,” says Flor, who views yoga not as a sport but as a tool for exploring ourselves – whether it’s our strengths or traumas. The duo plan to offer in-person sessions as soon as conditions allow, but until then you can join them for digital drop-ins every Saturday at 11h starting in April. If you are worried you need to be in a relationship to join in, don’t: partner yoga is just as beneficial when done with a friend or flatmate. Whoever you choose as your companion, you both end the session feeling calm, aware and curious – and what more could you want in a relationship?

Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Rhys Anderson Media & Artem Podrez

Soul Y Luna – Yazaan and Flor will hold online partner sessions on Saturdays starting 03.04.2021, 11h–12h15.

To book a place and to enquire about private classes and massages, send an email to soulylunayoga@gmail.com

@soulyluna_living