About a year ago I decided to go on an adventure in my own backyard. Ok, it’s a relatively new backyard, but I feel like we often forget about what’s close to us, regardless of how long we’ve been in a place. The grass always seems greener somewhere else. If I’ve learned anything from covid and all its rules, it’s that there’s always something new to explore, wherever you are. I discovered Berlin is so much greener than I already thought and also Brandenburg has got a lot to offer! If you want to get to know the area and are up for a challenge, try to walk the 66 Seen Weg, or 66 Lakes Trail.
The schedule
The 420 km long 66 lakes trail, 66 Seen Weg in German, is usually done in 17 stages, although you can break them up into smaller chunks sometimes. It passes through some of the region’s most beautiful natural areas, like the Gamengrund or the lakes around Strausberg. Besides this it’s a great way to visit some of the typical small towns of Brandenburg and to see some wildlife, like deer, storks and snakes.
- Day 1: Potsdam to Marquardt – 19,1 km
- Day 2: Marquardt to Brieselang – 21,4 km
- Day 3: Brieselang to Hennigsdorf – 23,3 km
- Day 4: Hennigsdorf to Wensickendorf – 25,6 km
- Day 5: Wensickendorf to Melchow – 29,4 km
- Day 6: Melchow to Leuenberg – 28,2 km
- Day 7: Leuenberg to Strausberg – 24,6 km
- Day 8: Strausberg to Rüdersdorf – 21 km
- Day 9: Rüdersdorf to Hangelsberg – 21,5 km
- Day 10: Hangelsberg to Bad Saarow – 25,2 km
- Day 11: Bad Saarow to Wendisch Rietz – 25,1 km
- Day 12: Wendisch Reitz to Leibsch – 25,9 km
- Day 13: Leibsch to Halbe – 22,8 km
- Day 14: Halbe to Wünsdorf – 32,7 km
- Day 15: Wünsdorf to Trebbin – 30,1 km
- Day 16: Trebbin to Seddin – 24,9 km
- Day 17: Seddin to Potsdam – 24,6 km
My favorite stages:
Stage 4 – Briesetal: The walk is very idyllic between Niederheide and Wensickendorf. You follow the Briese river, through forest and swamp, sometimes over wooden walkways.
Stage 5 – the lakes: This day combines some beautiful lakes, like the Liepnitzsee, with the beauty of the Hellmühler Fliess and the lush Biesenthaler Becken. For the best part, start in Wandlitz and finish in Biesenthal.
Stage 7 – Gamengrund: The day from Leuenberg to Strausberg is wonderful! From tiny Leuenberg you walk along some stretched out lakes and onwards through the forest until you reach the Fängersee. From there you explore the lakes around Strausberg. They beg for a longer stay, perhaps with a swim.
Stage 9 – the Löcknitz: Today starts strong, following the shores of the Kalksee. Further along you see the beautiful valley of the Löcknitz. It’s a day filled with water!
Stage 14 – Tornower lake: After Halbe there is an annoying stretch along a busy road, but one of my favourite moments of my walk is sitting at the Tornower lake. Besides this, Teupitz is a very pleasant village to explore for a break.
Finding your way
The marker you follow for the 66 Seen Weg is the blue dot on a white background. In some parts it is very clear, in others confusing. I was definitely glad to have a little guide with me that clearly explained where I needed to go. Another option would be to find the stages on Komoot and follow the route on your phone.
You’ll be walking a big loop around Berlin, but this means that the pretty places have to be connected. Sometimes this takes you through some pretty boring areas or over long straight parts. Still, I was surprised with how many beautiful paths I took, even outside of the nature parks. However, if you plan to take stretches of the walk, and finishing the 420 km is not your main goal, I’d suggest finding options through the nature parks, thereby skipping the less interesting parts.
Where to stay
The great thing about this walk is that you can do it all at once and carry your clothes etc. with you, but you can also base yourself in Berlin and take the walks as day trips. This is the way I did it, since all accommodations were closed due to the pandemic at the time. Some of the towns you finish in are also pretty small, so I don’t know if you’d be able to find accommodation everywhere. Just keep in mind that there’s the option of going back to Berlin.
I found the Ostkreuz area a convenient place as a base, since there are good connections to all directions and I mostly had to travel for about an hour to reach the start/end of the walk.
How to get there
Officially the walk starts and finishes in Potsdam, but since it’s a loop you can really start anywhere you want. All stages are accessible by public transport, be it by train, S-bahn or bus. Some of the smaller towns, like Leuenberg or Leibsch have a pretty limited bus schedule, so plan connections in advance and know when the last bus leaves. Buses could come once every 2 hours with the last bus at 17.00. You don’t want to get stuck anywhere. The majority of the stages is connected to the train network, which makes it a lot easier and way more flexible than the bus option.
Note that some of the train stations are so small there are no ticket machines. You’ll have to buy a ticket on the train or use the DB App to buy one.
Parks and pretty places for a day hike
Through the 66 Lakes Trail I really got to know Berlin and Brandenburg better. Since then I’ve been exploring even more nature parks and interesting places in the area. Hiking the long stretches of the 66 Seen Weg isn’t for everyone, so here are some nice shorter walks you can do instead. They’ll follow the trail for the most part, and through the most beautiful areas that are still easily accessible.
- Gamengrund: If you don’t want to walk too far, you can take a part of the Gamengrund. From the train station of Falkenberg you can walk towards the Gamengrund. At the Gamensee you pick up the 66 Seen Weg. You follow paths through an old, super quiet forest until you reach Leuenberg, from where there is bus transportation back to Berlin. Approx. 17 km.
- Briesetal: From S Birkenwerder you follow the stream Briese through the forest. In Birkenwerder itself it’s like a fairytale, walking over wooden bridges. Between Birkenwerder and Wensickendorf the trees reflect in the water and provided a nice shaded, scenic walk. Approx. 14 km.
- Strausberg’s lakes: Strausberg Stadt is incredibly cute! From the S-bahn station it’s a short stroll to the lake. You could walk parts of the 66 Seen Weg by making a loop from here. One option is to take the ferry to the other side of the Straussee and make your way to the Fängersee through the Spitzheide. If you have energy, you could loop around the Fängersee first and then follow the blue dots along the Bötzsee and back to Strausberg.
- Rauener Berge: From Bad Saarow you can access the beautiful lake Scharmützel. But if you’re in the area, check out the Rauener Berge as well. It’s a forest with many walking trails. You can take the 66 Seen Weg from Fürstenwalde, which is worth seeing in itself. In 13,7 km you walk to Bad Saarow, passing the Markgrafensteine and a viewing tower.
- Potsdam: The very beginning of the 66 Lakes Trail takes you through Potsdam past all of Potsdam’s highlights. You could take the Potsdam part as a shorter walk (approx. 8 km until the Alexander Newski Kirche) and combine it with a visit to Potsdam’s palaces and better explore the Sanssouci palace gardens. You can finish with a stroll through the center and perhaps a celebratory drink at one of the cozy cafés or terraces.
- Liepnitzsee, Hellmühler Fließ and Biesenthaler Becken: From the train station in Wandlitz follow the 66 Seen Weg. At the Liepnitzsee you’ll find beautiful spots for a swim or a picnic. Approx. 15 km. Further along you’ll pass some quieter lakes until you reach the small, idyllic Hellmühler Fließ. The last stretch to Biesenthal, goes through the Biesenthaler Becken and ends up in the town center. From there you can walk or take a bus to the train station at the other end of town.
- The Löcknitz valley: If you want a shorter day of hiking, instead of the full 9th stage, you could take an S-bahn to Erkner. Make your way through town to the Löcknitz river and pick up the trail going towards Fangschleuse (approx. 8 km) or Hangelsberg (approx. 15 km), from where you can take a train. For a long time you follow this playful little river and you finish through a forest.
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