The March
of Brandenburg surrounding Berlin is a region of birch and pine
forests.
The picturesque Spreewald lies south of Berlin
and offers numerous waterways for exploration by boat, and tranquil
hamlets such as Bückchen. Flat-bottomed barges
are still the main means of transport in the heart of this region,
as they have been for centuries.
Potsdam
Potsdam’s major new family attraction is the high-tech Babelsberg
Film Theme Park. There are also several fine 18th-century
buildings preserved in the city, which boasts three large parks.
The Neuer Garten contains the marble palace and
Schloss Cecilienhof, where Stalin, Truman and Churchill drafted
peace treaties in July and August 1945 during the Potsdam Conference.
Sanssouci has the spectacular Sanssouci Palace, which was Frederick
the Great’s favourite residence, and a gilded teahouse. The
picture gallery next door to the palace contains many old masters.
The city’s Dutch Quarter is an attraction
in itself, as is the famous Potsdam Bridge, where East and West
exchanged spies in all the best espionage films of the Cold War
era.
Elsewhere
Traces of Frederick the Great are also evident at Rheinsberg,
which was immortalised by Kurt Tucholsky’s tale of the same
name. The interior of the beautifully situated castle is still undergoing
restoration, but visits are possible. One of the towers houses a
Tucholsky Memorial. The music academy at Cavalier House
concentrates on period music as played at the court of Crown Prince
Frederick.
The Schorfheide is an area of forest north of Berlin.
Beavers, otters and eagles have claimed this picturesque area as
their own. In the centre of this landscape of birches and pines
lies the Werbellin Lake.
Summer concerts at the former Cistercian Monastery of Chorin
are another Brandenburg highlight, as is Lehde,
where there is an open-air museum with original houses and farm
buildings, complete with interiors. There are also several examples
of the culture of the Sorbs, a resident Slavic
minority. |
