Berlin's flat Brandenburg landscape opens onto a surprisingly varied hiking environment of pine forests, glacial lakes, and river valley trails, with the Muggelsee forests southeast of the city, the Schorfheide-Chorin UNESCO Biosphere Reserve to the north, and the Spree Forest to the south providing rewarding day hike and canoe-trail combinations within 60-120 minutes of the city.
Berlin is surrounded by the flat Brandenburg landscape of glacial sand plains, pine forests, and the thousands of lakes left by the retreating glaciers of the last ice age, and while the terrain lacks the dramatic elevation of southern Germany, the combination of forest walking, lake swimming, and river-connected trails makes the Berlin-Brandenburg hiking landscape genuinely rewarding in its own quieter way. Here are the best hiking trails near Berlin for 2026.
The Muggelsee and the surrounding Kopenick forest southeast of Berlin provide the city's most accessible extended hiking environment, with marked trails through ancient oak and pine forest connecting the Grosser Muggelsee lake with the Kleiner Muggelsee, the Muggelberge (the highest "hills" in Berlin, at 115 metres), and the Spree river trails toward Erkner. The 12km circuit around the Grosser Muggelsee and over the Muggelberge takes approximately 3-4 hours and provides a complete nature immersion less than 30 minutes by S-Bahn from central Berlin. The Muggelsee beach and the Rahnsdorf waterfront provide post-hike swimming and refreshment.
The Schorfheide-Chorin UNESCO Biosphere Reserve 80 kilometres north of Berlin protects one of central Europe's largest remaining old-growth forest areas, with ancient beech forests, moraine lakes, and a wildlife population including wolves, lynx, elk, and white-tailed eagles. The Chorin Monastery ruins (a stunning Gothic brick monastery built by Cistercian monks in 1258) and the connected forest trail network provide a hiking experience with extraordinary cultural and natural depth. The Chorin Stechlin lake circuit (12km) through the old-growth beech forest is among the finest forest hikes in northern Germany.
The Spreewald (Spree Forest), a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve 100 kilometres southeast of Berlin, is a unique landscape of slow-moving Spree river channels and canals interlacing through ancient alder forest, where punt boats have traditionally been the transport method and the Sorbian minority culture has maintained its language and traditions. The Spreewald trail network follows the canal banks through the forest and the traditional Sorbian villages (Lehde, Leipe) for hiking or cycling routes of 10-25km. The combination of boat punting and trail walking, with a stop at a Spreewald gasthaus for the local specialty gherkins and smoked fish, makes this one of the most atmospheric day trips accessible from Berlin.
The Muggelsee trails are accessible by S-Bahn (S3 line to Rahnsdorf or Erkner). Chorin and the Biosphere Reserve are reached by regional train (RE3 from Hauptbahnhof, approximately 70 minutes). The Spreewald is best reached by car (90 minutes) or regional train to Cottbus and connecting bus. Brandenburg's hiking trails are marked by the Brandenburg Wandern waymarking system. The best hiking seasons are spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October) when temperatures are mild and the forest colours are at their finest.
This article was compiled by AI and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.
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