Biesdorf, Berlin's Hidden Gem of a Castle

Marzahn is not necessarily a place on the map of Berlin travels. Usually associated with high unemployment  and communist-style blocks of houses, it is one of those areas that you rather avoid during your short or long stay in Berlin. Among my expat friends, I can hardly find one single enlightened person that ever went to this part of the city, unless I dragged them with me to visit IGA 2017 Flower Exhibition.

However, there are a couple of things that are worth seeing in this part of the city too, among which the natural diversity with a multicultural touch of the Gardens of the World to which IGA Show is nowadays part thereof.

I am not someone to give up that easy a travel adventure, no matter where though, and although a visit to this part of Berlin might take over an hour from my Western side of the world, I know from my extensive travel experience in the most remote and off-the-map locations that there is always something worth seeing everywhere, even it might be only some samples of Soviet-style architecture. But there is more to Marzahn than the stereotypes we - not necessarily expats - label with. 

For instance, the pink beautiful castle of Biesdorf.

Before the intensive expansion of the city of Berlin that took place at an aggressive pace starting with the end of the 19th century, Biesdorf used to be a small village area. There are only a couple of traces of that anti-urban life left now, especially around the S-Bahn Biesdorf area, where you can still find small houses and partly cobblestone streets. Around the S-Bahn, there are also some small fast food points, just to get some supplies before a long ride through the 4-hectare park of the castle.

Directly from the train station, you only have to follow the Albert-Brodersen Allee to make your entry into a world which is completely out of time. The rows of trees bordering the long alley are your key to a different kind of urban kingdom.

Oh thou, searchers of solitude, you have a garden where you can find your peace with a book on your lap. This time, it was a disruption into the daily peace and happiness program, as a group of teenagers were looking in the garden for their peace while listening to loud Goth music rhymes. Maybe the next visitors will have more luck at this chapter.

Not bothered by the musical background, which was fading away more and more as I was moving forward on the alleys anyway, I took a big breath of fresh air and admired the natural surrounding, with the discrete traces of human creativity. The meditative pose of this massive stone statue is in complete sync with the mood you are turning on while walking and walking around the park.

Then suddenly, while overwhelmed way too much by the nature - after all, we are just visitors in the Kingdom of Nature and although we may proclaim our love of it, we are rarely able to fully understand what this beautified and mystified natural life is all about - the pink castle of Biesdorf, with its careful planned Italian architecture angles interrupted the revery. 

Biesdorf Castle is one of the 25 castles, manors and villas left to the city of Berlin after all the tragedies of the last century. Compared to other massive German castles, it rather look like a villa. It's history started at the end of the 19th centry, when it was first built for the Baron Hans Hermann von Rüxleben. Later, it was acquired by Werner von Siemens and stayed in the family until the beginning of the 20th century. In 1919, the villa was hosting various apartments. The owners changed little from the outdoor look, with most interventions being rather aimed at the gardens. 

The city of Berlin purchased the castle in 1927, and when it was re-opened to the public, in 1933, it was fast taken over by the National Socialist party.

Destroyed completely in 1945, it was rebuilt and opened during the communist Germany time in the late 1950s as a leisure center.

The ambiance around is typical for the early spring: many people - especially those accompanied of children of all ages - prefer to run around the gardens and enjoy the chill. Some are enjoying the view while sipping a coffee from the elegant large terrace. As usual, I prefer to have the best of both worlds and intensively exploring the gardens with a long stop indoors.

The octogonal tower is a landmark of this castle - besides the colour - and I am dreaming of being able to have a look over this part of the city from the top, but unfortunatelly such a chance is not being given to this demanding writer. The chance to admire every angle and corner of the building are lessons good enough in terms of architecture and for such an architecture lover as me, it is enough for now.

The indoors area brings to this journey to the unknown part of Berlin a human touch I was longing for. The free-of-charge exhibitions hosted here offer the chance to explore the works of local artists, some of them featuring visual life stories about the inhabitants of Marzahn. And it is much more to it than Cindy of Marzahn, as the photo exhibition where random people living in this area are sharing their interesting stories.

In other hall, a piano is taking a well-deserved break before a new concert will be offered to the visitors.

After changing hands so often in less than 100 years, after the reunification of Germany, Biesdorf Castle went through massive renovation works and in 2016 was finally reintroduced in the public circuit. Nowadays, it is managed by a foundation running various local projects and its exbitions are aimed to raise awareness about local problems and identity.

As usual, my successful trips are ending on a sweet-tasty note. After more than an hour journey to this part of Berlin, followed by a long historical and nature exploration of the castle itself, I reward myself with a delicious hot-chocolate and poppyseeds cake - Mohnkuchen - from the castle eatery. It might not be real castle food, but it has a local touch and a very friendly customer service so it is a happy ending of a trip that would love to repeat again in the near future. 

Against all odds, it seems that Marzahn has a lot to offer to the curious eyes and mind.

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Slow Sweet Life in Petershagen/Eggersdorf

This long beautiful summer that ended up suddenly into cold late autumn brought me in many beautiful, relatively unknown places in Germany. Curious to discover this country off the beaten path, I answered the challenge and spent interesting times exploring places, meeting people and trying to understand geographies and architecture. After Strausberg and Erkner, Petershagen Nord - to not be confused with the place with the same name from Nordrhein-Westfalen - was our next Sunday trip destination. Easy to reach from Berlin with the ABC ticket with the S5 from the Zoo S-Bahn station, it takes almost one hour to arrive.

When you travel to any place in Germany on Sunday and you find something open, all you can do is to have a stop, grab a cake and a coffee and enjoy the capitalistic priviledge. Near the train station, Café Noebe winked on us, offering not only a humongous strawberry bread coconut pudding, but also a slice of local life, with many people living here enjoying the sunny afternoon while taking a sip or a bit at their tables covered in plastic tableclothes.

Well fuelled, we try to stay in good shape while walking for around an hour alongside the Atlantsberger Chausée, passing rows and rows of one storey stone houses surrounded by gardens. Many are also the headquarters of small business, many in the field of house maintenance and reparations, but also hosting unusual still useful projects, such as the workshop for porcelain reparations. 

Everything around us is small size, with side streets and meows leading to narrow streets populated with small houses.

As we are fast getting tired, a new refreshment is necessary. Eiscafé Eisjunge, apparently one of the respectable institution, if only to think about the long rows in the front of the counter. The icecream sortiment is beating any serious offer in the city, with ingredients as unusual as cucumber or sweet potatoes. 

However, we have some family-oriented activities in mind: a visit at the small petting zoo - Kinderbauerhof - full with children either partying hard for the birthday of their friends or just hanging around in the grass with their parents. It is a really pleasant ambiance, and besides the chance of interacting with the animals, the children can also spend their energies in the playground. 

Although we didn't find a serious, tempting restaurant to inclue on our foodie list - spotted some Mediterranean and Greek options though - at least we've visited another small Sunday bar/coffee place where people living here usually meet: Angerscheune, open this day until 17.00 o'clock where also small local cultural events are hosted.  

Although anything special, spectacular, bubbling took place during our Sunday trip to Petershagen/Eggersdorf, leaving it was like saying too fast 'good bye' to a world where time stopped. The gracious horses taking a break outdoors were a reminder that we have to come back this autumn to admire the show of colors at the Bötzsee, and eventually use this time to be grateful to have so many options to spend a free meaningful disconnected from the busy city life.  

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Berlin Off the Beaten Path: Why Visit Erkner?

On my way back from Frankfurt/Oder, on the way by train to the Central Station we passed a colourful small harbour packed with colourful small boats. I had a short look at the name of the station - Erkner - which at the time didn't tell me anything. After giving the landscape a couple of more careful seconds from my time, I instantly included on the list of the 'places to visit' for a short getaway near Berlin: I spotted a lot of green areas, and the water and some interesting buildings too.

Back home, I've spent some time doing intensive research at the end of which I got even more reasons to visit this place soon: a spa place until the end of WWII, a literary destination for those interested in mapping the German Nobel prize winners as here Gerhard Hauptmann spent a couple of years, and also a little nature paradise.

You can easily arrive there using the ABC S-Bahn ticket from Zoo, with Erkner the final destination.

Although less than one hour away from Berlin, there is a certain countryside quiet mood which predominates, with couples strolling the main street and family with kids heading in groups to some nature walks. The cityhall, the former summer residence of the Gotha-born worldwide piano maker Carl Bechstein, smoothly integrates into the modest urban landscape. The park on the back of the cityhall, with a view over the Dämentzsee and Flockensee make it as a relaxing way to spend your Sunday afternoon.

More interesting for me is the geometrical games shaped by the blocks of houses bordering the narrow main street.

A mechanical flower clock keep it up with the time and the times, a bizarre combination between humble nature and human advanced technology.

Newly painted Art Nouveau fassades give to the streets some touch of elegane and noblety. As a spa place, for its fresh air and high concentration of natural areas, Erkner was a holidays and relaxation spot. The architecture typical for spa centers can be still spotted once in a while if you have an eye for it.

One of Erkner's famous residents is the 1912 Nobel prize winner Gerhard Hauptmann. He spent here only 4 years - between 1885 and 1889 - but was a reason enough to make him the VIP of the place. Alternatively, Erkner was also named Gerhard Hauptmann City, and a museum featuring his works and life is hosted in the elegant Villa Lassen. 

On Fürstenwaldestrasse, colourful murals featuring the life and nature of Erkner are a different way to introduce this city to Germany and the world.

It may be a small place, but it has its own quiet lifestyle and local traditions.

And its residents, more or less famous, might just call it a day when they can jump in their boats and make a tour around the lakes.

Before we are trying to see if possible to go on a boat tour, a healthy - or at least foodie - stop is required. At the Bürgerli you can meet on a Sunday with your friends, neighbours and every other visitors in Erkner like us. It is buzzing with life - and literally with bees - and the crepes covered in strawberyy jam and ice disappear from the plate in the blink of an eye.

Arriving by boat to your office? Why not? In Erkner you can just step out your home and ride your bike - why not - as far as Berlin.

Not in the best physical shape after returning from Buckow, I am using this opportunity of some more action. The 1900-meter long Wanderweg zum Botterschen Gräben, a settlement created in the second half of the 18th century is the perfect spot.

Easy to walk around, especially in comfy shoes, you may meet once in a while some locals walking their dogs or also, like you, looking for some nature battery boost. Bikes and solid baby prams are also welcomed.

Embracing the silence, I am happy with the moment and the blessing of moving my feet on the way to the unknown paths.

Hidden behind big green trees, a small countrymen house is hosting a local museum, featuring the story of Erkner, its traditions and personalities. At the Heimat Museum I discovered another local literary personality which spent some time here, the poet Helga M. Novak.

If you visit Erkner with children, besides the nature walking, there are also a couple of small parks where the little ones can use their energy climbing and jumping around. A former attraction, a petting farm - Bauernhof - was recently closed, although local directions still include it among the things to see here.

Hopefully, we have even more walking paths and lakes to discover. Near the former spa park, there are some easy paths to follows, or the Hohenbindener Weg, leading to am Karutzsee.  All quiet and neat, if not for a lady approaching every new coming people to tell them how everything is so dirty nowadays, compared to decades ago - in the GDR times, as Erkner was on the red side of the wall, as a monument to Soviet soldiers near the Hartmann Museum reminds.

As the trip is over, I am happy that I've decided to spent a lovely summer afternoon in a place rarely mentioned on the Berlin's To Do List. Not sure when will return, but at least we put on the map a simple green gem of this city that never ceases to amaze me. I bet I'm not the only one!

Can you spot the horses?