Brandenburg

Lakes, palaces and Spreewald canals

Brandenburg is the state around Berlin and is flatter and quieter than most of Germany, with forests, heaths and thousands of lakes. Its capital Potsdam has palaces and gardens that form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Spreewald is a network of canals that visitors can explore by boat. The Uckermark and the lake regions to the north suit hiking, cycling and paddling. Many places are reachable by regional train from Berlin. The countryside is easier by car or bike, so a trip can be a day out from Berlin or several slower days.

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Region in Germany

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$	Cheap
$$	Medium
$$$	Expensive, upscale
$$$+	Very expensive, luxury

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Safety: 7.8

General Safety:	8
Health & medical:	8
Accessibility:	5
Tap water:	9

Read details

3/5

English proficiency varies across Brandenburg. In tourist hotspots like Potsdam and larger towns, English is commonly spoken. In rural areas and among older residents, German dominates. Young people generally have basic English skills from school educatio

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Last update: 22 Oct 2026

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Brandenburg Summary

These place ratings give you a quick overview of how well a destination matches different types of trips.

‘Best for’ scores:
The specific interest scores show where this place really shines – whether it's ideal for hiking, food & drink experiences, museums or other activities. These highlights help you understand what makes the destination special at a glance.

‘Your personal’ scores:
This reflects how well a place matches your personal preferences. You can adjust the importances of travel topics or other personal requirements categories in your account settings.

‘Suited for’ badges:
These give you a quick overview of how well a destination suits specific types of travellers, to help you find the places that match your lifestyle, preferences or travel situation.

Read how our scores work

Great for lakes and outdoor escapes near Berlin. Go cycling through forests, paddle quiet lakes, visit historic palaces and relax in peaceful villages.

Place score

7.4

Best at:

Cycling

Kayak & SUP

Forests

Lakes

Spotless

Personal score

Suited for

👶 8

Families

🧓 7

Seniors

🐕 9

With dogs

🛡️ 8

Travel Beginners

Germany – Quick facts

Guide Etiquette Holidays Other

Power Grid:	230 V, 50 Hz Plug: Type C , Type F Type C: Type F: Read about power adapters
Currency:	Euro (EUR) £1 ≈ €1.19
Cashless info:	Rating 4/5 Cards are widely accepted, especially in urban areas, but small establishments may prefer cash. Be prepared for occasional cash-only situations. Save with a travel credit card
eSIM providers:	Best value: Saily Flexibility: Airalo Read our in-depth comparison

Tipping:	Tipping is common in restaurants, typically 5-10%. For taxis, it is customary to round up to the nearest euro. Tipping in cash is more common than adding it to card payments.
Public drinking:	Public drinking is allowed in most parts of Germany, especially in beer gardens and public events, but some local regulations may restrict it in specific areas.
Public smoking:	Smoking is prohibited indoors in public places such as restaurants, trains, and buses. Designated smoking areas are available outside many buildings.

Oktoberfest (September)	Huge crowds in Munich. Expect high hotel rates and crowded transport.
Christmas (December)	Christmas markets are popular, expect crowded cities and higher prices.
Labour Day (May)	Many shops are closed, and there are celebrations throughout the country.

Emergency contact:	Police: 110, Emergency Number: 112 (Fire, Ambulance)
Taxi apps:	Uber, Free Now, myTaxi
Other:	Germany is well-equipped for tourists, with good public transport and high-quality facilities. However, be prepared for language barriers in some rural areas.

Best times to travel

The best times to travel section shows how the months compare for a visit, so you can find the time of year that fits what you want to do.

Background colours of the months:
The colour shows the typical temperature: yellow (hot), green (mild) and blue (cold). How strong the colour is shows the travel season: full colour means high season, soft colour means shoulder season and soft-striped means off season.

Weather symbols:
Each month has one symbol showing what the weather is typically like, such as hot and sunny, freezing or a rainy or snowy season. Use them to quickly spot months that match the weather you want, or to avoid the ones that don't.

Crowdedness:
The people icon shows how busy the place usually is. The more people, the more crowded it gets.

Additional notes:
The grey info boxes point out special things worth knowing, like recurring weather issues or seasonal events.

for Brandenburg, Germany

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Jan

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Feb

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Mar

🌤️

Apr

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May

🌤️

Jun

🌤️

Jul

☀️

Aug

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Sep

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Oct

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Nov

❄️

Dec

High season:	May - Sep.
Shoulder season:	April, Oct.
Crowdedness:	3 (Few tourists)

Tap on a month for more info Hover over a month for more info

Climate details

Climate is fairly uniform: lakes, cycling and Spreewald boat tours best May to September, Potsdam palaces and parks good in spring and autumn

Spreewald punt tours and many lakeside cafes run April to October, mostly closed in winter

Beelitz asparagus season runs mid April to 24 June

Don't miss

🏰 Visit the stunning Sanssouci Palace and Gardens in Potsdam
⛪ Explore historic Brandenburg Cathedral on Cathedral Island
🏯 Walk along the well-preserved medieval city walls and towers
🕯️ Tour the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial and Museum
🌳 Relax and picnic in the scenic Marienberg Park

You've been here?

Why travel to Brandenburg?

Brandenburg shows a very different side of Germany from Berlin. Potsdam has the Sanssouci palaces and gardens, which belong to a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cecilienhof and the Dutch Quarter are also in town. The Spreewald is a biosphere reserve with a network of waterways about 970 km long, which visitors can explore in flat-bottomed boats or by canoe and on foot. The north and east are quieter. The Uckermark is a hilly and thinly populated region with about 400 lakes. The Schorfheide-Chorin biosphere reserve includes the Grumsin beech forest, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Chorin Abbey is a Gothic monastery built of brick. The Niederfinow boat lift is close by. Schloss Rheinsberg is on a lake in the Ruppiner Seenland. In the south, the Lausitzer Seenland is a landscape of lakes created from former open-cast mines. Potsdam and the Spreewald work as day trips from Berlin. For the Uckermark, the lake regions and the Lausitz, two or three days leave time to explore, ideally by car or bike. The flat terrain also suits cycling on long-distance routes along rivers like the Spree and the Oder-Neisse.

🏙️Cities & Regions

1 Potsdam
The capital of Brandenburg, just southwest of Berlin, set among lakes and parks along the Havel river. It's best known for Sanssouci Palace and a UNESCO-listed ensemble of Prussian palaces and gardens, easily reached from Berlin by train.

🏯Places worth seeing

1 St. Peter and Paul Cathedral
2 Freilandmuseum Lehde
3 Museum Barberini

🎡Places for activities

1 Tropical Islands Resort
2 Hotel Esplanade Resort & Spa
3 Holland-Park
4 Schlosspark Oranienburg
5 Karls Erdbeerhof

🏞️Natural landmarks

1 Lower Oder Valley National Park

🎈Events

Brandenburg Summer Concerts
Potsdam Sanssouci Music Festival
Spreewald cultural festivals
Sorbian traditional celebrations

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Open map view

Knowledge before you go

Berlin ABC tickets cover Potsdam and the area around Berlin.
Punt tours in the Spreewald mostly run from spring to autumn, so check ahead for winter visits.
Bikes usually need a separate ticket on regional trains and space is limited on summer weekends.
Road signs in the Spreewald and around Cottbus are often bilingual, in German and Lower Sorbian.

How to travel to Brandenburg

Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) is the main gateway and lies in Brandenburg itself, just south of Berlin. The Airport Express (FEX) reaches Berlin Hauptbahnhof in about 23 minutes with up to four trains an hour. The RE20 goes from the airport to Lübbenau in the Spreewald in about 50 minutes. By train, Berlin Hauptbahnhof is the starting point for most trips into the state. Regional trains from Berlin reach Potsdam in about half an hour and Frankfurt (Oder) in roughly an hour. IC trains from the airport reach Dresden in about an hour and a half. Long-distance trains connect Berlin with Hamburg, Hannover and Leipzig. By car, the A10 ring road circles Berlin. The A9 leads to Leipzig and Munich and the A24 to Hamburg. The A12 goes to Frankfurt (Oder) and Poland and the A13 to Cottbus and Dresden.

Access summary

From Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER): Regional trains to Brandenburg towns, usually 30–90 minutes.
From Berlin city: S‑Bahn and regional trains into Brandenburg, about 30–120 minutes.
From Hamburg: Direct or connecting trains into northern Brandenburg, typically 2–3 hours.

Check your route from anywhere

Where to stay in Brandenburg

Visitors stay in Potsdam, in Spreewald villages such as Lübbenau and Lehde or in small lakeside towns. Guesthouses, holiday apartments and campsites are typical. Potsdam has hotels in and around the old town and near the palaces. Castle hotels and spa hotels are also found, for example around Bad Saarow on the Scharmützelsee. In the Spreewald and the lake regions, small guesthouses (Pensionen), farm stays and holiday homes are the main options. Many have a garden or a boat landing and are often run by families. Rooms book out on summer weekends and during school holidays. They also fill up during the fruit blossom festival in Werder (Havel) in spring. If you want to see Potsdam and Berlin on one trip, staying in Berlin and taking the regional train to Potsdam also works well.

Hotel recommendations

*by rating and popularity. Commissions have no influence on the rankings.

Leonardo Royal Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz

8.8

Park Inn by Radisson Berlin Alexanderplatz

8.2

Ocak Hotel

8.5

Garner Hotel Berlin - Mitte By IHG

9.1

Estrel Hotel

8.5

IntercityHotel Berlin Airport BER Terminal 1+2

9.2

Steigenberger Hotel Am Kanzleramt

9.3

IntercityHotel Berlin Hauptbahnhof

8.7

mondrian suites hotel berlin checkpoint charlie

8.6

Seminaris CampusHotel Lifestyle + Design Berlin

8.4

Explore more accommodations

How to get around Brandenburg

Brandenburg is large and thinly populated, so public transport follows the rail lines that radiate from Berlin. Villages, lakes and forests away from those lines are easier with a car or a bike.

Trains:
Regional trains run from Berlin to Potsdam, Brandenburg an der Havel, Cottbus, Frankfurt (Oder) and Eberswalde. VBB tickets are valid on trains, buses and trams in the whole of Berlin and Brandenburg. A Deutschlandticket also works on regional trains.

Buses:
Local buses link towns and villages but can be infrequent in rural areas, especially in the evening and at weekends. Some areas have on-demand buses that you book in advance.

Car:
A car helps in the Uckermark, the Fläming and the Lausitz where trains are sparse. Roads are generally quiet and distances between sights can be long.

Bikes:
The flat landscape and signposted long-distance routes make cycling easy. Hire shops are mostly in larger towns and tourist areas like the Spreewald.

Boats:
In the Spreewald, canoes and flat-bottomed boats are a way to get between villages. The Ruppiner Seenland, including Rheinsberg, can also be reached by water.

Food in Brandenburg

Food in Brandenburg is simple regional cooking built on potatoes, freshwater fish, game and vegetables. Village inns (Gasthöfe) and lakeside restaurants serve it. Farm shops (Hofläden) and markets sell local products. Many Spreewald dishes are vegetarian, which helps if you don't eat meat.

Spreewald gherkins:
Crisp pickled cucumbers, sold in jars and at markets across the Spreewald. The name is protected and they're often eaten with bread, in sandwiches or alongside fish and potatoes.

Potatoes with linseed oil:
Jacket potatoes with linseed oil and quark (Pellkartoffeln mit Leinöl und Quark) are the classic Spreewald dish and are vegetarian.

Asparagus:
White asparagus from Beelitz is sold from mid-April until 24 June. Farm stands and restaurants serve it with potatoes, butter or ham.

Fish:
Lake and river fish such as zander and carp are on many menus. Smoked fish is sold at stands near the water.

Budget snapshot

Costs compared to home

We calculate the average costs when travelling to destinations and compare those with the living costs at your home. With this you can get an estimate of how expensive or cheap the destination is for you.

To customise this, you can set up which location and price level are used for the calculations in your account settings.

-2 %

Daily expenses in the region are around 2% lower than the average across United States. That means you'll spend around the same on meals and getting around.

Exchange rate trend

The exchange rate price factor shows how expensive or cheap a currency currently is compared to its historical average. It's a quick way to see if a country is currently more or less affordable due to exchange rate changes.

-3 %

Your exchange rate (GBP to EUR) is 3% better than in recent years. That means travelling now costs around the same compared to the past.

Travel costs

To help you plan your trip, we provide estimated daily costs per person (when travelling as a pair) for different travel styles. These numbers give you an idea of what you might spend each day at this destination, including accommodation, food, transport and activities.

Additionally, we also provide average hotel costs for different travel styles to give you an estimate for the accommodation only.

Please note that these are only estimates. The real costs depend on booking times, season and other factors.

Daily cost summary

Travel style categories explained:

Backpacker:
Staying in hostels or budget hotels, cooking your own meals or eating cheap and choosing low-cost activities.

Mid-range:
Staying in mid-range hotels, eating at a mix of restaurants and casual spots and enjoying a variety of activities.

Luxury:
Staying in luxury hotels, dining out at high-end restaurants and enjoying premium experiences without worrying about the price.

	Backpacker	Mid-range	Luxury
💵 Total costs per day, including accommodation	£67	£145	£397
🏨 Accommodation per night, per person	£26	£68	£165
🍝 Food per day	£29	£65	£188
🚕 Transportation per day	£12	£13	£43

Food & Drink

🍽️ Restaurant Dinner, per person	£26
🍛 Lunch Set, per person	£12.50
🍟 Fast food combo	£9.50
🍝 Preparing your own food, per day	£10
☕ Cappuccino	£3.30
🍺 Beer in a restaurant, 0.5 l	£4.10

Transportation

🚌 Public transport ticket	£2.90
🚕 Taxi Ride, 10 km / 6 mi	£25
⛽ Petrol, 1 l	£1.50

Other

🎞️ Cinema ticket	£11.50
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's consult	£50
🤧 Cold medication	£7.50
💇 Basic haircut	£16

Safety information overview

General safety

Brandenburg is generally safe for visitors. Petty theft happens at busy sights and stations. Far-right incidents have been recorded in some small towns, so stay alert late at night there. Stick to marked paths in former military training areas because of old munitions.

Health & Medical

Medical care is good, with hospitals in the larger towns. Rural areas like the Uckermark and Prignitz have longer distances to the nearest one. Ticks carry Lyme disease and mosquitoes are common near water in summer, especially in the Spreewald.

Accessibility

The landscape is mostly flat, which helps on paved paths and cycle routes. Palace parks in Potsdam have long gravel paths and some historic buildings have steps. Regional trains are mostly step-free but small rural stations and bus services can be harder to use.

Tap water

Tap water is safe to drink throughout Brandenburg. In many areas it's hard, which leaves limescale but doesn't affect safety. Lake and river water isn't treated, so carry a bottle on hikes and canoe trips.