How to Spend a Walking Day in Bad Saarow

I am no stranger to Bad Saarow, that I visited several times a couple of years ago. Although this destination under 2 hour away from Berlin is famous as a spa town, I've always been here either for the architecture or for the nature walking. This time, I am back again, introducing Bad Saarow to my friends that I convinced it is worth a ride from Berlin.

The weather is mild, with only some moderate wind and no rain in sight. Go away spa temptation, we don't need you...we have everything we need to keep walking, after all those hard office business days. We start the ride near the train station, slowly checking around looking for some places where we can eventually have a lunch later. That there is no place where you can pay with card it is no surprise for any of us, but that in a place where is clumsily written in German that it is only cash accepted to see a nicely written announcement that you can pay in Bitcoins, that's really surprising. Things are moving either too fast, either too slow, it seems.

We head direction Kurpark, crossing the bright Seestraße, bordered by trees whose nakedness make the avenue even more larger. 

The architecture of Bad Saarow is a noteworthy point of attraction. Although many of the typical houses with clock-wise twitched wooden roof were destroyed during the war or thereafter consumed by fire, some of them are still used, a testimony of the work of a unique urban style. 

But if you are less into houses and design, Bad Saarow offers beautiful landscapes, starting with the peaceful Scharmützelsee. I am doing enough meditation and yoga is not always my sport of choice, but in the middle of such a landscape I let myself embraced by the silence, close my eyes and breath deeply. The best free anti-stress therapy.

Regardless if I travel or I am hard working in the city, I am trying to walk at least one hour the day. While walking I put my life together, get rid of negative energies and get back on shape. Especially when I am surrounded by nature and my steps are accompanied by the bold singing of birds, the recovery is even faster. We start the big round of the Schmeling Rundweg.

From under the clouds, the sun is smiling to us. It is a very easy walking, and no previous practice is needed. Just a pair of comfy shoes. 

Discretely placed away from the main walking road, there are still some of the houses designed by the Jewish architect Harry Rosenthal for personalities in the inter-war period that spent their weekends and summers here. Similarly with Buckow, Bad Saarow was preferred by many artists but also but the representatives of the emergent middle class. The house from the picture, was the property of the boxing champion Max Schmeling where he moved here after the marriage with the actress Anny Ondra.

Since my last trip, many more traditional houses were renovated, keeping alive a unique urban project. At the end of the war, many of those houses were occupied by the representatives of the Soviet Army, neglected thereafter because the communist Germany was often lacking the money for such investments.

When there was not enough space, local minds found a way to create them. A former electricity and water facility was turned into a small hotel, for instance, adding one more accommodation opportunity for the short or long-term visitors to Bad Saarow.

Back into the city, with our lungs refreshed by the early spring crispy air, we are ready to leave Bad Saarow. As everywhere around Berlin, new copy-pasted ad infinitum white buildings appeared here in the last years too, adding a cold, neutral white splash to the typical irregular former unique architecture. I am more tempted to love the old classical Bad Saarow, but I am also curious what the future have in sight for this place. Most probably, to check the next steps, I might bring my friends more often to this place. After so many years and many trips later, it keeps charming me. 

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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?

Tips for Exploring Strausberg bei Berlin

How the straus become the symbol of Strauberg, this relatively unknown part of Berlin which you rarely stop by on the way to best known places like Buckow, is not fully clear. Reacheable from Berlin Zoo station with the S5 S-Bahn line and the ABC ticket, Strausberg (b. Berlin to make the difference to the homonymous from Frankfurt/Oder) may be a pleasant and affordable destination if you are looking spending time in the middle of the nature. With part of it belonging to the picturesque Märkische Schweiz as well as to the equally picturesque Märkische Oderland, it has a lot of free time activities to keep you and your children busy for at least one full day.

The journey lasts around one hour, passing near small villages that make you forget that you are still in the big capital city. Berlin and Strausberg are connected via train lines since 1948. Since the 18th century, Strausberg used to be a so-called garnison city (like Wünsdorf, another interesting destination near Berlin I will feature in one of my next posts) and remains until today one of the biggest German Army headquarters in Germany' East. What we see upon arrival though, besides the blocks of flats GDR-style, are alleys bordered by old trees, an invitation to thoughtful walks.

The old walls are not only well preserved, but integrated harmoniously into the contemporary landscape. It gives to some part of the city the air of a fairy tale with an urban background.

In some cases, the old walls were converted into entrances to the relatively new - in centuries' time - blocks of buildings.

When I drove the first time through Strausberg on the way to Buckow, I noticed a group of visitors taking pictures in the front of a sailor statue. Apparently, this character, which reminds of the revolt of the Kiel sailors in 1918, in solidarity with the November Russian revolution is a local attraction, as people were this time also in the front of it for photo opportunities. The work belongs to Hans Kies, who also created the memorial art at Buchenwald camp, a personality - both political and artistic - among the GDR artists of the time. 

Although most of the city looks designed in the spirit of the late communist 1970s, there are still some old corners reminding of other times, especially on Bebelstraße.

A couple of meters away on th same street, there is the local museum. The name of the street is not accidental, as here, in 1898, August Bebel held a conference and the street was named in the honor of the founder of the German social-democracy.

Although I love history and to discover historical episodes during my travels, summer for me is mostly made for exploring nature and hiking. Strausberg has plenty of it to offer, starting with a small boat tour for 1.50 Euro one way, crossing Straussee.

On the other side, you can make a round hiking near the lake, with views over the city. A very creative idea was to offer once in a while some short explanations about the buildings and areas visible from the other side of the lake. For instance, the electricity factory or the Fishermen' quarter. Learning through hiking was a really interesting idea and experience.

The trail is relatively easy and all you need is a good pair of shoes and the desire to keep walking. You can also bike, walk your dog and carry your baby in a pram. There is no limits to your desire to be in a good shape. 

On the shores, people are sunbathing or picnicking, listening to music or just enjoying their own company.

Some lucky ones do have boats that brings you fast in the middle of the lake, with views on both sides and the immensity of the water surrounding.

Hiking around the lake lasted around 2 hours of slow pace, but it built up a lot of positive energy and strength, not only in my muscles.

Time for a tasty reward: an ice coffee at the welcoming Milchbar, near the city hall, a place where besides various bio and natural treats you can also have breakfast from 9.30 to 14.00. The service was friendly too and they do have some great icecream sorts worth to try at least once.

The city hall - Rathaus - building looks like a big mansion, elegant and with clean architecture lines.

We want to explore a bit more, and we arrive again in an area surrounded by old city walls intertwined with the modern one-storey houses.

The views from the Panorama viewpoint are smoothing and postcard worth.

A couple of meters away, on the lake, there is a boat competition taking place, on the occasion of the Dragon festivities, a local benchmark in the list of summer events in the city. Besides, the Volkspark is turned into a great playground.

The most surprising parts of Strausberg though are on the sideroads less travelled: Kürtzestrasse has some lovely timbered-houses built on a strong stone foundation and with colourful small doors that look simply lovely.

This part of the old city is by far my favorite and I slow my pace to admire one and every single one of the beautiful colourful houses.

In a short amount of time I am on Großstraße, the avenue where most shops are concentrated, many of them offering products, especially fashion-wise which remind of old, unfashionable times. In one small interior yard, there is the Alter Brauhof, a reminder of the glorious brewery times of Strausberg. In the Middle Ages there used to be at least 60 breweries, not few of them around the Dominican monastery. Following the 30 Years War (1618-1648) most of them were destroyed and 1880 marks historically the end of the local beer production. The building reminds as a historical memory, that can be admired from the white covered tables of the Italian restaurant nearby, apparently Strausberg's best foodie destination. 

Nearby, the Lindenplatz was quietly empty, but locals say that on Tuesdays, when the weekly market takes place, there is a completely, lively ambiance.

With its new and old part of the city, its beautiful nature and calming view of the lakes, Strausberg was a really pleasant travel surprise. Most probably, when I will be around the next time, I would prefer to stop and see more of it instead of just crossing it in a big hurry, lured by other unknown more appealing destinations.

10 Pictures to Make you Fall in Love with the Märkische Schweiz (and some hiking tips too)

My three weeks of rest and relaxation in Buckow, in the Märkische Schweiz went away - way too - fast, but my time was filled with good people, extraordinary views and a lot of good healthy food. Maybe too much food, hence the need to burn some of the extra calories through day-trips and many many more wanderings in the area. 

Blessed with a beautiful natural surrounding, Märkische Schweiz is a paradise for hikers. The difficulty level is easy to moderate and all you need is a pair of comfy shoes and eventually a great companion. Most of the paths are suited to bikers and dog walking through the forest is also a funny way for a day outdoors. If you want to take a little baby with you and you have a solid pram, don't hesitate to do it. Learning children from an early age to enjoy nature and spend time outdoors is one of the best gifts parents can give, as it learns them to be brave, to understand nature and develop independent skills. A Per Perego or Maxi Cosi type of pram will definitely cope more than decently to the task.

Some of the natural corners look like nothing happened from the beginning of the time. Wild forests, surrounding esmerald lakes where the small fish bubbles were the only visible sign of life arround. Moors that seems the perfect background for a sci-fi setting. 

Making a selection of (only!) 10 pictures, out of a little bit over 100 I made during my stay was a really hard work. It took me a week to decide, ponder and finally select those who really spoke straight forward to my soul and that will help me keep with me round the year all the good things that happened to me during that time.

 

The wandering opportunities around the Brecht-Weigel memorial house abund. Regardless what time of the day you are visiting, there is always a oasis of quietness with no cars and only the sound of the birds playing duets.

From there, you can start an adventurous, but worth the effort 7-km. Scharmutzelsee round trip which may last around 3 hours. Follow the TK10 sign and make a turn to Ferdinandhöhe. Close from it you will also arrive to a very romantic place called Love Island.

The path will for a short time intertwin with the public road and some streets, but will mostly take you around the lake, where you can read your book or just round up the last events of your life and get more energy for the next life challenges.

Starting your early morning with such a view is for me an overwhelming way of getting more power and breathing deep into the day.

I am not a very sporty kind of person and my main activites involve a lot of walking and hiking. The advantage of such a hobby is that instead of facing some white walls and sport tools for hour while doing my exercises, I have the chance of being faced with the most beautiful nature corners. 

Although you may encouter houses with generous yards every couple of hundreds of meters of hiking through the Märkische Schweiz, as well as other wanderers on the roads less travelled, the human presence remains modest. In the summer, when the happy owners of summer residences from Berlin and all over Germany are coming for holidays, the houses in the middle of the forests may look more animated, if you take it for the number of cars parked in the front and the views of children toys spread all over the yards. But there is nothing intrusive or bothering in it, and even when there are outdoors summer parties it looks like the sounds are muffled by the thick forests.

You are rarely warned about what to expect while hiking. If you are here for the first time and no local is accompanying you, you may stumble upon eerie outwordly natural highlights. 

The wandering paths are not only easy and hard to get lost into, but also offer corners where one can stop and stop the time. Who needs tomorrow when every single moment is worth living in its fullest spiritual sense?

If you are familiar with walking through the forests you might know already that it is not recommended to hike during rains and storms. Fallen trees all over the places were the proof that it is always safe to ask the experienced hikers and avoid stupid accidents. In a fight between humans and nature, nature will often win, because it has the force on its side. 

Another interesting hike we did for around 2 hours was up from Neue Promenade street. You need to follow the path through the forest and some directions and you can spend the rest of your afternoon going up and down the wandering paths.

Near the beach - Strand - there is another chance to explore some interesting natural corners and put your strength on trial. On the way to Bölesdorf, you can either go direction Weißentraube or Winzelfichte. Either of them has its own beauty and hiking charm, with many small rivers you can cross on narrow wooden bridges. The Poetenweg - Poets' path - which reminded me of the Heidelberg's Philosophen weg, but only in name. Poets are more inspired by nature and wilderness while philosophers seem to be rather challenged  by the struggle to reach to the top - of the reason, probably.

As I leaved Buckow coming back to my non-poetic and anti-philosophical daily life in Berlin, I've learned at least one important thing: spending time in nature, surrounded by beautiful people, while also tasting the silence once in a while, was the best present I could offer to myself. Luckily, I am living in one of Europe's greenest capital cities and finding a proper hiking corner in less than one hour is a reward that I fully deserve after a hectic working week.

For more travel stories, follow my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ilanatravels