Märkischer Landweg Trail: a country route of parks and lakes

Hear the silence. Smell the forests. Feel the wind on your face. Explore enchanted places. Watch the ospreys circling. Taste the fruit growing along the trail. A pleasure for all the senses as you walk through the Uckermark region.

Brandenburg's Uckermark region lies in the north-east of Germany, close to the border with Poland. The Märkischer Landweg Trail starts in Feldberg in the Feldberg Lakes nature reserve. Reiherberg hill lies to the north of Lake Haussee and, at 143 metres, is the highest point in the area. Other nearby hills also offer stunning panoramic views stretching far into the distance. The Feldberg Lakes are an insider's tip. Set amidst hilly, partly wooded scenery, these lakes have a fjord-like quality thanks to their steep banks and pure water. Water sports enthusiasts can indulge their passion in this region where there is water as far as the eye can see. The first half of the Märkischer Landweg Trail is particularly abundant with lakes – a true paradise on Earth! Himmelspfort Monastery near Lychen was once used as a home for wayward monks. You'll feel like you've stepped back in time in this sparsely populated region where you'll come across shepherds tending their sheep and former charcoal burners' villages. After the Templin lakes, the scenery changes as you reach the tranquil wooded areas of the Uckermark. But water soon reappears in the form of channel lakes left over from the Ice Age, before giving way to swamp-like ancient forests. The Märkischer Landweg Trail also leads through the Lower Oder Valley National Park, which contains Europe's last remaining pristine river meadow. This is a paradise for waterfowl, and cranes gather here in their masses every September.

Tip

Chapel in the forest, Alt Placht
One of the gems along the route can be found between Lychen and Templin. Alt Placht's 'chapel in the forest' is tucked away below the broad branches of ancient lime trees. Built around 1700, this estate chapel was falling into ruin in 1989, but was rescued in 1990 when a preservation society was set up.

At a glance

• Starts: Feldberg
• Ends: Mescherin
• Length: 220km
• Number of stages: 10
• Altitude variation (approximate values): Ascent 2,000m, descent 2,000m
• Terrain: 70.5% unmade, 17.9% asphalt, 11.6% other, e.g. gravel