Forster KulTOUR - Industry meets Gardens

Forest is a city shaped by the textile trade since the 17th century and later by the textile industry. Tens of thousands of people were thus employed. The city was therefore known as the German Manchester until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Over the years, the textile industry brought wealth and at the same time the desire of textile workers to relax in the countryside after work. This led to the opening of a rose and garden exhibition on the Wehrinsel grounds in the south of the city in 1913 to mark the 25th anniversary of Kaiser Wilhelm II. The success was so great that it became a permanent exhibition, giving rise to the East German Rose Garden.Length: 5 kmStart / Finish: Forst (Lausitz) Train StationLogo / Route markers: Not specifiedArrival / Departure: Public transport: From Berlin Hauptbahnhof take the Regional Express RE2 to Cottbus. From there, continue with the Regionalbahn RB46 to Forst. Car: From Berlin take the A13 motorway to the Spreewald interchange, then continue on the A15 to the Forst exit, and finally take Bundesstraße B112 to Forst. Route: Forst Train Station, Sorauer Straße, Brandenburg Textile Museum, Kegeldamm, East German Rose Garden (historical main entrance), Wehrinselstraße, Forst Train StationDirections: Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, many of the formerly commercially used buildings in the northern part of the city along the Mühlgraben have fallen into disrepair and are threatened by decay. To preserve the architectural heritage, inform about it, and bring it more into the public eye, the Path of Industrial Culture was created, starting near the train station. The path focuses on the industrial history of the textile industry, which still shapes the cityscape today.The Path of Industrial Culture currently consists of a total of ten stations, including the Brandenburg Textile Museum housed in the former textile factory. It continues eastwards to Kegeldamm, near the border river Neiße. It is a terraced facility located between the two bridges Seufzersteg and Lange Brücke. Meadows of the floodplain characterize the cityscape of Forst from south to north on the east side. In the 1930s, the architect and city building director Rudolf Kühn transformed the banks of the Neiße into an architectural concept and created residential space close to the center with an incomparably beautiful location on the river.The city in the Lausitz region, located at the easternmost edge of Brandenburg on the border with Poland, is also characterized by roses. Nearly 1,000 different varieties of these noble plants bloom every year in the summer months in the East German Rose Garden, which has existed in the city for more than 100 years. This can be reached via Kegeldamm or Wehrinselstraße. Here, artistically crafted sculptures, pergola courtyards, and romantic water features can be found, rounding off the individual garden rooms in the park on the border river Neiße.The historic park provides a magical backdrop year-round for weddings, family celebrations, exclusive business meetings, or simply for a relaxing walk. A special highlight from May to September are the Romantic Night Tours through the East German Rose Garden.Type of paths / Route development: Developed paths, partly cobblestoneCombination options: Forst (Lausitz) Circular hiking trailA Forst World Tour – From the Alps via Mexico and Jerusalem to the Jungle1st and 2nd stage Oder-Neiße Cycle PathTime travel route between Euloer Bruch and Klinger SeeCircular hike Euloer Teiche and Jamnoer TeichePoints of interest:Forster Industrial PathKegeldammSt. Nikolai Church with Graf Brühls CryptBrandenburg Textile MuseumEast German Rose GardenFounder and Dream FactoryJohann Sebastian Bach ChurchCatholic ChurchPavilion Enjoyment & ArtForst Train StationMulknitzer Teich – Euloer BruchMaps / Literature: Bikeline Radkarte Niederlausitz. Burg, Cottbus, Forst, Hoyerswerda, Lausitzer Seenland, Senftenberg, Spremberg, Südspreewald, 1:75 000, Esterbauer Verlag, Edition: 1st (February 1, 2012), ISBN-13: 978-3850003087, 6.90 Euro