AT A GLANCE
Why go?
The Spree is the river that gives Berlin its rhythm. A modest waterway in the mountains of Upper Lusatia, it swells as it crosses Brandenburg, fans out into the reed-choked channels of the Spree Forest, and then threads through Germany's capital in wide, looping arches before joining the Havel at Spandau. For most visitors this is exactly where the Spree comes alive: a flowing rooftop terrace of the city's landmarks, best read from the water.↗↗↗
What makes the Spree special as a destination is the sheer concentration of history stacked along its banks. A single one-hour cruise can glide past Berlin Cathedral, Museum Island, the medieval Nikolaiviertel, the Fernsehturm, the Reichstag and the glass curves of the Federal Chancellery. Longer routes push west to Charlottenburg Palace or east through Köpenick to the lakes. The same river that supplies the city's postcard views also runs quietly through protected wetlands and along a 400-kilometre cycle path, rewarding travellers who want more than the centre.↗↗
