Stage 4: “Paul-Gerhardt Path” from Zeuthen – Königs Wusterhausen

This short, varied stage of the Paul-Gerhardt path through woodland, parks and garden landscapes takes you past a place of technical history just before you arrive in Königs Wusterhausen, where the path finishes: The Funkerberg elevation. The first radio tests were carried out here as early as 1911. The first radio station was put into operation in 1915. At first, it was used to send out army reports as well as telegrams abroad. In 1919, the Deutsche Reichspost, the name of the German postal service at the time, extended the antenna system to allow a Christmas concert with instrumental music to be broadcast for the first time on December, 22 1920. This made the Funkerberg the “cradle of German radio broadcasting”. Soon, entire full-day programmes were broadcast over their medium-wave channel, which has survived to this day. And, incidentally, it remained in operation until 1995.

The area around Königs Wusterhausen is also known for the Nottefließ, a river that flows into the Dahme and was developed using barrages in the 16th century by the Great Elector and turned into the first long navigable waterway in Mark Brandenburg. Until the Gründerzeit period, horses pulled the ships along a towpath that ran parallel to the waterway. The Nottefließ was also used to transport bricks to Berlin; today it is an industrial monument.
Length (duration):  about 13 kilometres (about 3 hours)
Route sign: Signets and hiking signs of the Paul-Gerhardt path
Route:

This short and varied route takes you through residential areas interspersed with nature trails and woodland, the Höllengrund with path, marsh and lake, the spa gardens and riverside paths along the Dahme and the unspoilt and romantic Lauseberge elevations and an enchanted pond.
Trail conditions:

In the parks and along the shore of the lake, partially paved and no hard surface; in urban areas, pavements.
Points of interest along the route:
Nature: Mixture of parks, residential areas and paths along the rivers Dahme and Nottefließ.
Culture: Church in Miersdorf, residential area in Wildau, Funkerberg museum, Königs Wusterhausen local history museum, Königs Wusterhausen castle.

By public transport:
Start: S-Bahn station Zeuthen
Finish: S-Bahn and RB (regional train network) station Königs Wusterhausen

All locations are within the Berlin-ABC tariff zone.
How to get there by car:

Free parking is only available in the immediate vicinity of the starting point; you can take the S-Bahn back to your starting station. 

Recommended maps/Literature:

Stadtpläne von Berlin
Aus der Serie “Schöne Heimat”: Flutgrabenaue, Königs Wusterhausen und Umgebung, Verlag Dr. Barthel; ISBN 978-3-89591-097-5
Reschke, Manfred: Paul-Gerhardt-Weg “Natur und Kultur zwischen Berlin und Spreewald”, Trescher-Verlag; 1. Auflage 2017, 168 Seiten, 80 Fotos, 25 Karten und Stadtpläne, farbige Klappkarten, ISBN 978-3-89794-354-4

Find inspiration in the diary specifically published for this trail. The tourist information centres along the way give you hiking stickers for each completed stage, which you can stick in your diary. They also give you song sheets of the poet’s most famous songs.

You can find all souvenirs of the Paul-Gerhardt path to www.dahme-seenland.de/service/souvenirs/

Possible combinations / connection to other hiking trails:

Tiergarten path in Königs Wusterhausen with Lake Krimmnicksee