A canoe trip in the spring, a beach vacation in the „land of a thousand lakes“ in the summer, a cycle tour through avenues and forests in the autumn, or a relaxing bath in one of the modern thermal spa resorts in the winter – Brandenburg has a lot to offer in the way of natural recreation. No Land of the Federal Republic has more waterways than the region between the Elbe, Havel, Spree and Oder rivers with its 3000 lakes and 33,000 kilometres of rivers and streams. And in 15 large nature reserves you can still see rare species of plants and animals such as storks, kingfishers and beavers. The poet Theodor Fontane said of „his“ Brandenburg: „The whole area offers a landscape on a grand scale; not of relative beauty, but of absolute beauty.“ Or as the Berliners would say (cheekily, but good-naturedly): „vülle Jejend“ (loads of room).
www.reiseland-brandenburg.de
The Lower Oder Valley National Park was back in the headlines shortly after it opened – during the 1997 floods. The Lower Oder valley extends for 60 kilometres from Hohensaaten to Szczecin and straddles the German-Polish border. Brandenburg’s only national park is a paradise for waterfowl. This area is home to the largest known population of corncrakes, a bird threatened by extinction.
The Spreewald Biosphere Reserve is Brandenburg’s most popular tourist destination. North of Cottbus, the Spree branches out into a labyrinth of slow-moving streams to form a unique landscape. This UNESCOprotected area is still home to the white-tailed eagle, the osprey, the black stork and the European otter. 585 red-listed plant species grow in or near the waterways, on meadows and in the forests. Furthermore, the Biosphere Reserve is Germany’s number-one region for ecological agriculture: two thirds of the land under cultivation is reserved for this form of production.
Berlin’s small but beautiful sister, one grand work of art made of landscaped countryside, gardens, parks and palaces: Potsdam is one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. Sanssouci Palace is top of the sightseeing list, the Babelsberg film studios are a must for visitors, and historical sections of town like the Dutch Quarter convey the flair of a thoroughly European city.
Stechlin lake is the biggest freshwater lake in the North German Lowland Plain. Together with over 100 other lakes it forms the Stechlin-Ruppiner Land Nature Park. And right in the middle lies Rheinsberg Palace, a present from Frederick the Great to his brother. The region actually became famous through literature, however. Theodor Fontane named one of his most important novels „The Stechlin.“ He also devoted about 60 pages of his „Walks through the Mark Brandenburg“ to the palace, the park, the church and Rheinsberg itself. Furthermore, the palace town of Rheinsberg is the setting of Kurt Tucholsky’s book „Rheinsberg – a Picture Book for Lovers.“ And the nature park really is a picturebook landscape – not only for lovers.
Gateway to the East: Frankfurt/Oder is directly connected with its Polish neighbour city of Slubice by the city bridge. But it has also created an educational bridge between east and west with its Viadrina Europe University. This is also where the city’s most famous son, the dramatist Heinrich von Kleist, studied 200 years ago.
Between Berlin and Dresden: Cottbus, the green city on the River Spree, has been strongly influenced by both Germans and Slavic Sorbs over the years. Sorbic customs are still cultivated in this bilingual city, and women in traditional costumes are still part of everyday life. Cottbus will be celebrating its 850th anniversary in 2006.
UNESCO has recognized Schorfheide Chorin as one of 400 biosphere reserves in the world, thus giving it the same status as the Yellowstone and Serengeti national parks. An abundance of lakes, moors and forests all contribute to its fascination. Most of its settlements date from the 13th century. The monastery complex at Chorin is the most famous. Another impressive sight is the ship lift (photograph) in Niederfinow, which enables barges to clear a difference of 36 metres between the Oder–Havel Canal and the Oderbruch.
