82
Grand Old Prussian Avenues
Around Berlin, scores of venerable, tree-lined Prussian
avenues slice through the flat countryside to connect
a series of varied attractions. Amid the forested rolling
hills between Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western
Pomerania in the north is Rheinsberg, a pretty town with a
modest palace that was once a favorite of Frederick the
Great. A short drive south is the former concentration camp
of Sachsenhausen. More pleasant reminders of the past lie to
the east, including the 13th-century monastery at Chorin and
a remarkable Prussian ship hoist at Niederfinow. To the south,
the leafy hills around Buckow are perfect for hiking, while the
myriad waterways that crisscross the UNESCO-designated
biosphere reserve of Spreewald can be explored in a punt. The
Spreewald region also bears remnants of the Sorbian culture
that prevailed before the 10th-century German conquest.BACK ROADS GERMANY
ACTIVITIES
Cruise the lakes around Rheinsberg in a rowing
boat or kayakExperience being lowered in a boat by an old
Prussian ship hoist at NiederfinowExplore the scenic woodlands around BuckowLuxuriate, swim, slide, and play in the warm
temperature inside an old Zeppelin hangar
in Tropical IslandsGo punting or paddling on the
Spreewald waterwaysSavor the famous Spreewald gherkin
in the region that produces 44,092 tons
(40,000 tonnes) of the pickled cucumbers per yearBelow left Beautiful scenery en route to the Tropical Islands, see p87 Below right Colorful boats and canoes, perfect for exploring Lübben, see p870 kilometers0 miles1010SCHLOSS
RHEINSBERGGEDENKSTÄTTE
SACHSENHAUSENFürstenbergGransee
SchönermarkCanowNassenheideDorf
ZechlinLöwenbergMenz BlumenowAltlüdersdorfSonnenbergFalkenthalBergsdorfKrewelinMarienthalGriebenDierbergTeschendorfGrünebergFriedrichsthalSeebeckHerzbergBeetzKremmenEichstädt
Velten
Schönwalde- Bötzow NeuendorfHohen
GlienStaffeldeBörnickeNauen
Brieselang
FalkenseeAltfriesackAlt
RuppinKöpernitzLindowRheinsbergZehdenickOranienburgHennigsdorfKEY
Drive route