Around 50km east of Berlin by the Schermützelsee lake (not to be confused with the Scharmützelsee further south) lies the picturesque town of Buckow in the Märkische Schweiz. Since the 1950s, the area’s Victorian villas, historic town center and lakeside beach have pulled in the weekend tourists, including the likes of Helene Weigel and Bertolt Brecht who spent their summers there. The place has lost none of its beauty and romanticism, making a tour here a firm favorite of ours. You can easily get to Buckow from Ostkreuz by regional train (RB26 to Münchenberg station) followed by bus, but for our last visit we decided to start the walk directly from the station. The Märkische Schweiz is a well-known hiking region, so there’s plentiful signage: follow the Panoramaweg Buckow which goes via the small village of Waldsieversdorf.

If you know the Brandenburg countryside you might smile at the name “Märkische Schweiz”, given the absence of mountains here. But this route does at least take you up some fairly steep hills, meaning good shoes are a must for going up and down the steps. When we arrived in Buckow, we found a small cafe called Lokal in the center of town where a family makes home-baked cakes from regional ingredients and a delicious apple-cinnamon mulled wine. From Buckow there’s a bus back to Müncheberg every hour. The Panoramaweg is around 7km and can be completed in one to two hours; from Münchenberg add on another 6km. German writer Theodor Fontane called the Buckower countryside “a rural beauty who steps into the lake with bare feet and braids her hair under willow branches”. We couldn’t have put it better ourselves.

Text & Photos: Laura Iriondo

You can reach Schermützelsee and the Panoramaweg with the RB26 train to Münchenberg; map

If you want a bird’s-eye view of Berlin and beyond, the Fernsehturm and the Siegessäule are your two go-to lookouts. But head 40km south of the city and you’ll find a lesser-known tower offering an equally fine vista: Löwendorfer Berg. Your starting point is the pretty village of Löwendorf, where blue-dotted signs guide you up the 103m-tall hill on uneven but interesting sandy paths. Part of Brandenburg’s 66-lake hiking network, Löwendorfer Berg is the highest point in the Naturpark Nuthe-Nieplitz to which it belongs. You begin to feel this height as you continue the roughly 30-minute walk to the summit, where another – this time man-made – elevation awaits: a 22m timber-framed observation tower that has stood at the site since 2012. You can stop for a tea break at the picnic tables before starting your final climb up the structure’s 112 steps.

At the top, you’re greeted by a magnificent 360-degree view with (weather-permitting) clear views of Potsdam, Teufelsberg and the Fernsehturm. The viewing platform has seats so you can catch your breath and a telescope for a closer view (can you spot Gropiusstadt?). Once you have taken in the panorama, it’s time to head down and continue exploring the woodland. There are numerous paths to take and you can’t go wrong. You can extend your visit with an hour’s hike to Blankensee, spotting deer at the game reserve on your way, or stick to a shorter circuit in the surrounding pine forest before heading back to the village. Finally, for the bravest walkers there’s the E10 European hiking path which is rather more ambitious: the trail takes you across the whole of Germany right down to the south coast of France.

Text & Photos: Benji Haughton

Löwendorfer Berg, Löwendorf 14959 Trebbin; map 

You can reach the path by car (parking is available on Waldstraße) or with the RE3 train to Trebbin.