Hike Through The Gentle Landscapes Of Brandenburg

Taking a day of pleasure in beautiful Brandenburg, Germany means some time to get away from the hustle and bustle of the workaday world. Hundreds of kilometers of trails offer you some incredible scenery and a multitude of places to stop and take in the fascinating history of Germany.

For instance, starting at the Brandenburg Gate in Potsdam you can take a long circular tour on the trail known as 66-Seen Wanderweg. It takes you through Marquardt, Melchow, Wendisch Rietz, Trebbin, and then comes around once again to Potsdam. This 416-km trek provides such sights as lovely regional parks, Roman baths and palaces of exquisite beauty.

You’ll run across secluded areas where you can swim, enjoying a refreshing dip before continuing on your way. Walk on lakeshores and soak up the sun.

Visit Charlottenhof Palace, dating from the 18th century. This is where the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel worked his magic by transforming a farmhouse into a thing of wonder.

This “66-Lake Trail” is, of course, named for the marvelous lakes along the way. Rivers also run nearby, such as the Havel River and the Spree. The hike will take you all around Berlin and outlying areas. You will find places to stay all along this path.

Naturally, you don’t have to hike the entire 416 km. You’ll discover shorter sections, dayhikes around the city. From Potsdam to Marquardt is only 17 km, an easy trek at any time of year. This is a quiet route starting out in Potsdam and taking you on pathways in the city and suburbs. Although you won’t tour every sight in Potsdam, you get a great cross-section of the area.

Take off from Marquardt for a 20-km hike north to Brieseland. As you follow the Havel River, you’ll marvel at the scenery and solitude of this adventure. It’s a spot not often frequented, with many quaint towns along the way.

Some of the other shorter hikes on the 66-Lake Trail include from Brieselang to Hennigsdorf, 23 km of beauty, Hennigsdorf to Wensickendorf, a hike of 24 km, and many more. You can take a hike of 24 km from Wendisch Rietz to Neuendorf am See or from Wünsdorf to Trebbin, 27 km.

The last leg of the journey is from Seddiner See to Potsdam. This 25-km hike is almost all natural woodland trails, out of town for the most part, and nicely quiet. Wander through a wonderful hardwood forest, the shores of the Havel River and visit at last the park of the Sanssouci Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

You should take time after your long trip is over to tour Potsdam. Here you can visit historic sites that give you a real taste of the past in Germany. Stroll through ethnic quarters, such as the Dutch or Russian sections of the city.

There is another wonderful trail close to Berlin that you can embark on — the Naturpark Hoher Fläming. This is a long 122-km path starting in Bad Belzig and looping around through Rabenstein, Wiesenburg, Görzke and Groß Briesen (part of Friedland). Once you finish and return to Bad Belzig, you can brag how you have seen the best Germany has to offer.

Of course, this trail also is divided into sections, each from 15 to 19 km each. You can take shorter hikes in this way, in case you don’t have time to travel the entire way. You should plan your trip so you are sure to see the area near Dippmannsdorf with all the beautiful springs. There are numerous castles, stone churches and other cultural highlights to this adventure.

You see, hiking in Brandenburg is simply a pleasurable pastimes for outdoor enthusiasts in Germany. You simply must try it to see why.

—Marcus