The international art walk on the hoher Fläming.
September in Berlin is a month of contrasts and surprises. We’ve just had some really cold days. I took my winter shoes out, wrapped myself in a blanket and made sure to always carry an umbrella. Luckily summer wasn’t quite done yet and is trying to make a comeback, creating a great mix of good temperatures and fall scenery. Trying to use the beautiful days to explore, I took a train out to Bad Belzig to walk the international art route to Wiesenburg.
Over about 20 km this walk goes from train station to train station and has many options to turn it into a shorter loop. There is a north and a south path and some connections in between. I decided to start with the longer north route and leave the south route for next spring. It’s a pleasant walk with lots of forest and some fields, but along the full length of the trail you can also find works of art with short introduction signs.
In Bad Belzig you first walk on a hill that gives a nice view over the orange roofs of the town center. Then you walk past the castle and into a wonderful oasis of green. I soon found out that there are many more options for walking and biking in the area. There is even a trail for a bike ride that goes through many countries and passes Bad Belzig.
At the edge of town the north and south routes split. That’s where I enter a big forest road. I encounter several other people that are either walking their dog, or also enjoying one of the routes with the art. Occasionally there are meadows on my left or my right. Some still have colorful flowers, creating a sea of violet or yellow. There are also lots of mushrooms in all shapes and sizes.
About halfway through the walk I come across a small town called Schmerwitz. The town has a certain charm of a place that could be super fancy, but has lost its glory a bit. There is a palace, but it’s in poor shape. It’s like stepping into a forgotten past. A red brick road leads me through playfully arranged new houses and towards a café. This would be a great place for lunch, but I’ve brought my own. Then I pass the palace and turn right to leave the town.
Later I walk through the small town Schlamau. On the main road I see an older woman standing on her porch. “Hallo”, I say. It takes a while but her stern face turns into a broad smile. “Are you enjoying your time in our ‘Fläming’?” “Yes, why not, it’s a beautiful day!”, I tell her. She says she’s always happy to see people enjoying her area and then we say goodbye and I continue on my way.
One more surprise is waiting for me. Wiesenburg has a palace too. I wasn’t expecting much of it, even though my guidebook said it was worth to see the garden. Honestly, most of the garden is just a forest, but the palace looked spectacular. First I saw a bridge and a tower that looked like it belonged in a fairytale. Then I entered the park and saw the palace from the front. It was beautiful, with a well kept flower garden in front. What a nice sight to admire before making my last few kilometers to the train station.
