Petkus Familienwanderweg, family walking trail

Length: 5 kilometres

Start/finish: Guthaus Petkus manor house

Logo/route sign: yellow dot

How to get there:

• Train: Regionalexpress connection every hour from Berlin central station to Luckenwalde, then continue on skates, by bicycle or by bus (approximately four times a day: for bus times call +49 3371 62810) to Petkus (1.5 hours)
• Car: From Berlin via the A115, A10, B101 and B115 or the A13 and B115 (1.5 hours)

Route: Petkus

Route description: It kicks off in the summer garden of the manor house. Follow the Flaeming-Skate and turn right towards the village. On the left-hand side is the village's former cultural centre that once had space for up to 1000 people but which is now privately owned. Turn left onto Ferdinand-von-Lochow-Strasse. The route continues past the old forester’s lodge (on the left) where the village of Petkus used to end. Now continue straight on until the forest. From there you can follow the dirt track that constantly meanders along the edge of the forest. This section of the route passes a meadow orchard and two fuel wood plantations. The latter comprises a population of quick-growing wood types, in this case poplar trees, that are harvested every three years to be used as fuel in a wood-fired power plant in Berlin. At the second fuel-wood plantation you go approximately 20 metres into the forest and then turn right until you reach the Wehrsdorfer Teich pond. A long time ago there was a small village here with a few houses, but all that remains now is the village pond. The route takes a turn to the right after the pond. In the springtime especially you can follow the dirt track to marvel at the lush blossom of the fruit trees that line it. In the autumn you’ll find the track covered in abundant fruit. The dirt track leads onto Schenkendorfer Strasse, which you then follow for a short while before turning right again onto the Flaeming-Skate. This goes past the Petkus manor house and brings us back to the skating hotel.

Trail conditions / Surface: Dirt tracks, roads, Flaeming-Skate