Germany’s Flaeming Skate region south of Berlin is relatively unknown among the world’s inline skaters and bicyclists. Yet it has one of the finest trail networks anywhere in the world. Having recently run a tour there with 14 cyclists and skaters, I will take this opportunity to talk about the area’s pros and cons.
What is Germany’s Flaeming Skate Trail Network?
The Flaeming Skate (Fläming Skate in German, and pronounced “Flemming”) is a network of 230-kilometers of paved trails divided into eight different loops. The network was specifically created and is maintained for inline skaters, which means the paths are not only paved but are smooth, wide, mostly flat, and car-free. This is likely the only area in the world with a trail network designed for inline skating.
The Pros of Germany’s Flaeming Skate Region
The biggest attribute of the region? The trails, naturally! Here are a few quotes from our skaters and bikers. “The trail quality is unbeatable.” “Long, beautiful trails.” “Perfect surfaces on the trails.” This really is an amazing network of trails.
But there were two other aspects that stood out for our 14 travelers. One was the interesting nature of the location, south of Berlin, in old East Germany. This was not an aspect of the tour we had highlighted but actually turned out to be quite a nice addition to the tour. One traveler told us “The setting in former East Germany provided a unique opportunity to learn what it was like to live under the Soviets, and how life has changed since reunification.”
The second aspect was the additional activities we were able to incorporate into the tour so that it was not just skating, eating, and sleeping. These included an historical city walk, a discussion with a museum director on life in the old East Germany, an Oktoberfest celebration, a local soccer game, an organ concert in a church, and even “kegelbahn”, the German style of bowling. As one participant put it, “I also loved the additional activities – the tour of the museum, walking tour with a local guide and opportunities to learn a bit about the local area and social context.”
The Challenges of Germany’s Flaeming Skate Region
There are a few challenges of this region of Germany. Few people speak English, although this did not negatively affect the group and was a dream for those people who had taken and had the opportunity to use a little high school German. The German food can get repetitive, so we supplemented with one Greek and one Italian dinner. And while the hotels we use are very nice and get good ratings (4.3, 4.6, and 4.8 out of five on Google), they are also fairly simple without any luxuries.
Overall, this is as perfect a location as exists anywhere in the world for an inline skating vacation. This is also true for recreational cyclists who enjoy the flat, paved, car-free trails that skaters use.
I will leave you with two quotes from our recent tour:
“The second to last day of the tour was magical as the weather was perfect, the trails were clear and smooth and we had a lovely group lunch at a restaurant (that opened specifically for us) where we could rest and talk with the other participants mid-way through the day.”
“The Flaeming-Skate trail system is amazing for bikers and skaters alike. We glided through lovely farmland punctuated by spires and wind turbines – fitting for the past and present of this area. “
Come join us on our September 29 – October 5, 2026 tour in Germany’s Flaeming Skate region!
I wish you would provide a general map of the area to show where it is located.
Great idea, Shiro! We will work on that for future posts.