Did
you know that Berlin is an island? I have not been here for that long but
one thing is for sure I’m head over heels in love with Brandenburg, the state
that completely surrounds the city-state Berlin. There are 16 federal states in
Germany, and Brandenburg one of them, is roughly triple the size of the Bahamas
or you might as well say, as large as Belgium.
Whenever I need a change in scenery, and whenever I need to clear my mind, I make my way to Brandenburg. It is so close to Berlin, but it is a different world. Towns, villages or hamlets appear to have just been awakened from a very long sleep. If you take a look at Germany's recent history it most probably just happened.
During the Dictatorship of the GDR (learn about it at a museum in Berlin) whole city centres were covered in soft brown ash (a result of mining), and most period properties were in a state of decay. After the fall of the wall, towns, schools, roads and bridges have been renovated. Visit any town in Brandenburg to see how picturesque everything is. The only thing missing are work opportunities and as a result income. The deindustrialization that began after 1990 was ideal for the natural environment. The nature is outstandingly beautiful, look at this, Brandenburg is a state for every season.
March in the state capital Potsdam
You
might need to walk through deep snow (everything is possible in March), but the
lovelier it is to find one of the many atmospheric cafes in town and warm-up.
To feel your fingers again after a long walk is pure bliss.
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| March in the state capital Potsdam - there can be snow |
April in Ribbeck
The
small town in the Havelland region, a mere 50 kilometres from Alexanderplatz in
the centre of Berlin, is the main character in a poem by the German poet and
novelist Theodor Fontane. Read more about my visit in Travel Germany. Visit the town of Ribbeck, Havelland region in Brandenburg.
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| April in Ribbeck - Bright yellow rapeseed. Spring has sprung |
May in Chorin
If
you jump on a train at Berlin central station you are going to be in Chorin
only 45 minutes later. The town in the district of Barnim in
Brandenburg is bounded by Poland, Maerkisch-Oderland, Berlin and the Uckermark.
This is where you can read everything about my visit to Chorin and the Chorin Abbey in Brandenburg.
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| Chorin - home of wild beavers |
June near Lake Parstein
This
is how the land in the Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin looks in June.
UNESCO classifies the cultural landscape between the upper Havel, the lower
Oder and the Barnim in the north-eastern part of the Mark Brandenburg as so
interesting and important that it is one of the few most valuable landscapes in
the world.
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| Poppy meadow near Lake Parstein |
June at Lake Liepnitz
Lake Liepnitz is said to be
one of the cleanest lakes in all of Brandenburg. As part of the Barnim Nature
Park, the lake is a result of glacier activity. The lake is almost surrounded
by beech forest, and it is simply fantastic to hike around it. It would take
roughly two hours to walk the 9.5 kilometres. Look at the colour of the lake.
Picture-perfect for swimming. Lake Liepnitz is not too far away from Berlin. It is just
around the corner from the town of Bernau. By car, it would take you roughly 40
minutes from Alexanderplatz, right in the centre of Berlin.
July in Templin in the Uckermarck district
This
stork stood here almost motionless on the light pole but was so very
interested what was going on in the world. Every other moment the stork looked
inquisitively into a different direction, was this out of fear to miss something?
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| Stork on a light pole in Templin |
August in Lower Lusatia
I
went hiking for hours, in seemingly complete remoteness. Every year in
mid-August the heather blooms in lilac to dark purple. It is a true spectacle
to look at. Travel Germany. Hiking in the moorland in Lower Lusatia in Brandenburg.
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| Heath in Lower Lusatia - a magical sea of purple (Prince would have loved it) |
September in Lehde, an island village in the Spreewald
There
are no roads in this town in the southeast of the state. Firefighters,
removers, as well as rubbish collectors, come by barge. I went on a boat ride
through the canals, to experience this first hand. The area became UNESCO
biosphere reserve in 1991.
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| Lehde, an island village in the Spreewald |
October in Altkuenkendorf
You
can only enter the impressive landscape with dense forests, ancient alleys and
clear lakes of the Beech forest Grumsin in the Schorfheide-Chorin UNESCO Biosphere
Reserve with a certified ranger. Read all about my visit: A Magical Place in Germany: Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Beech Forest in Grumsin.
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Fly
Agaric in Grumsin in the Schorfheide-Chorin UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
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November in Ruppin Switzerland
Boltenmuehle, 18 kilometres north of Neuruppin, is part
of Guhlen Glienicke. It is where I start my walk around the lake. Read all about it in Experience the perfect Indian Summer at the Tornowsee in Brandenburg.
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| Colourful foliage at Lake Tornow / Tornowsee |
December in Babelsberg
Babelsberg Castle used to be the summer
residence of the German Empress/Emperor and Queen/King of Prussia, William I
and his wife Augusta. The beautiful garden has been designed by Pueckler, the
famous glamour boy, landscape artist, traveller, and dessert muse. The park and its palace are UNESCO World Heritage-listed.
Info: All these places are only one to two hours from Berlin. I can't wait to visit more places in the picture-perfect state of Brandenburg. Where is your favourite place?
From Berlin with love