Circular Hiking Trail No. 51 „Alte See“

On circular route 51 you can follow the traces of the name of the city "Zi-e-sar". This is of Slavic origin and means "behind the lake". Originally, the city was surrounded by several lakes, but these are lost to history. There are still traces of one those lakes: the large wetland area at the foot of the castle still bears the field name "Alte See" today which translates to "old lake". The hike begins below the castle. To the south of the city arise numerous springs that used to feed the approx. 2 km long and 1.5 km wide lake that partially enclosed the residence of the Brandenburg bishops. The circular hiking trail essentially leads along its former bank. Alder quarries, willow bushes, reeds and wet meadows with rare plants alternate with dry slopes. At the deepest point, which is still very swampy, a bird sanctuary was set up in the 1970s, where pheasants and cranes can live and breed undisturbed. But not only the animal world can be observed on the way, there are interesting plants along the way all year round.

Length: 5 km

Start / finish: Mühlentor, 14793 Ziesar

Logo / route sign: Red 51 on a white background

Arrival / Departure:Car: From Berlin on the A115, A10, A2 approx. 1.25 hoursPublic transport: RE 1 to Wusterwitz, then by bus to ZiesarCourse: Ziesar Castle, along the former lake shore, past the former swimming pool, westwards parallel to the motorway, through the former city forest, on the former Mühlendamm back to the Mühlentor and the castle

Sights:View of Ziesar CastleFormer swimming pool, now a playground for frogs, toads and grass snakesBird sanctuaryformer Ziesar - Güsen railway linein spring, a native orchid, the spotted orchid, blooms in the meadowsRoute characteristics / route expansion: predominantly natural soil and loose ground, suitable for families, but only to a limited extent for prams