Hiking trail in and around Geltow

Description: The district of Geltow nestles on the shallow shore of the Havel, where the Havel leaves the Schwielowsee and flows further north. On this hike you will get to know the place with its over 1025 years old history, its breathtaking nature and varied landscape.

Distance: 8 kilometres, walking time approximately 2 hours
Start/finish: Caputh/Geltow station
Directions: 

• Public transport: take the RE1 (Brandenburg, Magdeburg) from Berlin central station to Potsdam central station (approximately 20 minutes), then take RB 23 in the direction of Michendorf as far as Caputh/Geltow
• Car: From Berlin-Mitte, take the A 100 and A115/E51 to L73 in Michendorf, leave the A10, exit L73, continue in the direction of Caputh and take the car ferry to the district of Geltow, getting off at Caputh/Geltow

Sights:

• Wentorfgraben and Franzensberg
• Geltow village church
• Hand weavery "Henni Jaensch-Zeymer"
• Local heritage exhibition Geltow
• Baumgartenbrück
• Schill memorial stone
• Carls Tower with Franzensberg

Route description:
From Caputh/Geltow station, go over the Wentorfgraben to the right to the riverside path along the Petzinsee. Follow this to the "Wiesenweg" and then "Vogelweg", at the end of which you turn left into the B1 towards Werder. On the right, the path leads you into Meiereistraße, which merges into the street "Am Wildgatter", which formed the boundary of the royal wildlife park in the 19th / 20th century. At the end, turn left into the street "Am Pappeltor" and right into a paved path, which you follow to the road "Am Wasser". On the left side of the cycle path you continue towards Geltow. Soon you will see the colorful bricks of the church, built in neo-Gothic style. A tour of the hand weaving mill will allow you to admire 300-year-old looms. Behind the church, turn right into the "Uferpromenade am Grashorn" and next to the restaurant Grashorn you will meet the "Heimatstube Geltow", where the 1000-year history of geltow is presented. In the Hauffstraße 51/52 was the "ear of the world": From 1919 to 1930, the first radio connection with America from the experimental station of Telefunken Berlin located below the Mühlenberg succeeded in Geltow. Now follow the road "Baumgartenbrück" along the Havel to restaurant "Baumgartenbrück". Fontane enjoyed "the sixth hour" and the Havekaähne illuminated by the evening sun. You go uphill and come to the Schill memorial stone, which commemorates the "Schill Rebel Train" of 1809 to the liberation struggle against Napoleon. An impressive Havelpanomara leads you further up the Franzensberg to the Carlsturm, named after the builder Prince Carl, the brother of Kaiser Wilhelm I, who had the tower built in 1870 as an observation tower (today private property). The path leads you along the Franzensberg until you follow a footpath on the left down to the road "Baumgartenbrück" and turn right into the Geltower Chaussee to the starting point of the hike.

Possible combinations:

• Wildlife Park Trail with view of  "Bayrisches Haus"
• Around Lake Schwielowsee through Caputh, Ferch and Petzow
• Hiking trail around Lake Templiner See

Maps/Literature: 

• ​KOMPASS Wanderkarte Havelland, 4in1 Wanderkarte, 1:50000 mit Aktiv Guide und Detailkarten inklusive Karte zur offline Verwendung in der KOMPASS-App., ISBN: 978-3-99044-255-5, Verlagsnummer: WK 745’
• Grünes Herz: Rad-, Wander- und Gewässerkarte Havelseen 3: Werder, Potsdam: Mit Fahrland, Glindow, Geltow, Caputh, Ferch, Michendorf. Maßstab 1:35.000. ISBN: 978-3-86636-116-4