8th stage “66-Seen-Wanderweg”: Shining pearls - walking tour

Length: 25 kilometres (6 hours)

Start: Strausberg-Nord

Finish: Rüdersdorf

Logo/route sign: blue spot against a white background

How to get there: Take the S5 from Berlin central station (Hauptbahnhof) to Strausberg (about 1 hour).

Return journey: From Rüdersdorf, take bus no. 950 to Erkner. From here continue by the R1 (Brandenburg an der Havel) to Berlin central station (around 1 hour)

Route: Strausberg, Eggersdorf, Hennickendorf, Großer Stienitzsee, Rüdersdorf

Route description: This walk includes some lovely sections and a few special features. Lake Herrensee, for example, is a particular gem. It differs from the typical lakes in Brandenburg by the fact that it is dotted with lots of little islands, giving it a charm all its own. It is not suitable for swimming, but it is extraordinarily beautiful. Hennickendorf is home to the Lemke Mill, a former water mill. Grain is still milled into animal feed here using an old-fashioned electrical drive, which the typical Brandenburg Miller Lemke is happy to demonstrate and explain in return for a small tip. Walkers can buy snacks and drinks in his farm shop. The bank of Lake Kleiner Stienitzsee is a very well maintained park with something unique to offer: On the path along the bank, you will see gardens on the left with little ponds immediately behind the fence. These are edged springs shaped as ponds. On the lake side of the path, at the end of the promenade, lies a rest area where the most powerful spring bubbles out of the ground in the form of a fountain, as in many towns in the Alps. The Wachtelturm tower in Hennickendorf offers a wonderful view across the forest and lakeland scenery all around. Rüdersdorf, with its spacious museum park, marks the end of this stage.

Sights:

• Hennickendorf: Lemke Mill, Wachtelturm
• Lake Herrensee, with lots of little islands
• Lake Kleiner Stienitzsee: park with ponds (springs)
• Rüdersdorf: Museum park

Underfoot conditions/surface: Not specified

Maps/Literature:

• "66-Seen-Weg, Hikeline Wanderführer", 1:50,000, Verlag: Esterbauer, Auflage: 2 (2012), ISBN-13: 978-3850005012, Euro 14.90
• "Wander- und Radwanderkarte 66-Seen-Weg: Zu den Naturschönheiten rund um Berlin", 1:50.000, Verlag: Barthel, A., Auflage: 2 (1. Oktober 2011), ISBN-13: 978-3895911552, Euro 7.90
• Reschke, Manfred: "Die 66-Seen-Wanderung. Zu den Naturschönheiten rund um Berlin", Trescher Verlag; Auflage 8, aktual. A. (2017), ISBN 978-3-89794-369-8 (www.trescher-verlag.de/reisefuehrer/deutschland/66-seen-wanderung.html)