Fontanes Augenblick - bike tour

Discover the Oderbruch through the eyes of Theodor Fontane, who spent his childhood in this unique landscape at a young age. The circular tour starts in Bad Freienwalde and can be reached by RB 60 from Eberwalde or Frankfurt (Oder). "Freienwalde - pretty word for pretty place," Fontane raved in his books about Brandenburg's oldest spa town.

Length: 44 km
Start/finish: Bad Freienwalde train station
Via: Schiffmühle, Altglietzen, Altreetz, Wriezen, Altranft
Arrival and departure: RB 60 to Bad Freienwalde

Course:
From Bad Freienwalde, the tour leads to Schiffmühle. Fontane's father spent the last 15 years of his life here and was frequently visited by his son Theodor. Today, the small museum invites nature and culture lovers to linger. Only one place further, with a beautiful view over the Oderbruch, is the village church of Neutornow, on whose grounds the gravesite of Louis Henri Fontane can be found.
In the Oderbruch there are many places that have the addition "Neu" in the place name. These are original royal colonist villages that were newly established due to the draining of the Oderbruch by the Prussian King Frederick II (Frederick the Great) starting in the 18th century. Fontane reported about them in his books "Wanderungen durch die Markt Brandenburgs". In Neulietzegöricke, the first colonist village, there is the colonist coffee which offers various coffee specialties as well as homemade cakes and invites cyclists to take a break.
We owe the unique environment that the Oderbruch offers us today to the drainage. It is not without reason that the Oderbruch was the first cultural landscape to be awarded the European cultural heritage seal in 2022.
Closely accompanied by the Oder River, the cycle path leads to the Europabrücke bridge. The former railroad bridge was restored in a German-Polish joint project and has been used as a cross-border bicycle and footpath since June 2022. The bridge, which is 860 meters long in total, provides a magnificent view over the river area of the former railroad stations Neurüdnitz and Siekierki (Poland). Small cozy sitting areas with information about the structure and the flora and fauna of the Oderbruch invite you to linger.
From the Europabrücke, the tour follows the Oderbruchbahn cycle path along idyllic meadows and pastures to Wriezen. For those interested in culture, a detour to Kunersdorf is worthwhile, as Fontane paid much attention to this place in his books. The funeral colonnade, the castle park, the church and the Chamisso House of Literature in the Kunersdorf Musenhof form a unique village ensemble of classicism.
Surrounded by many fields, the tour passes Altranft. To end the day culturally, a trip to the Oderbruch Museum Altranft, which is not far from the route, is a good idea. Besides collections and photographs, which are exhibited for all senses to experience, there are various shrines, which vividly present the cultural heritage sites of the Oderbruch. Here, too, information about Fontane's childhood and travels in the Oderbruch has been collected and presented. The tour then ends back at the train station in Bad Freienwalde, from where the journey home can begin.

Possible combinations Route guidance: Theodor Fontane Cycle RouteOder-Neisse Cycle PathOderbruchbahn-RadwegInformation on site: Tourist Information Bad Freienwalde (Oder)Sights along the route:Fontane House SchiffmühleGravestone Louis Henri FontaneColonist village with village church in NeulietzegörickeEurope bridge Neurüdnitz-SiekierkiOderbruch Museum AltranftHouse of nature care