Stork Hiking Trail – Around Lake Beetzsee

Every year in April, thousands of white storks move to their summer habitat on roofs and chimneys throughout Brandenburg. If you walk the Stork Hiking Trail, you will see them in almost all the villages around Lake Beetzsee. From Brandenburg an der Havel, the trail runs alongside the road from Grillendamm to Klein Kreutz. After passing through the village the trail takes you along hedge-lined fields out into the expansive landscape. Once you have crossed the L911, a narrow path leads through the unspoilt Katharinenbruch swampland area and later through woodlands and across wetland meadows to Mötzow. Mötzow cathedral chapter estate with its beautiful manor house is a well-known destination for a day out: it has an art mill, a farm shop, a petting zoo and a playground. Well shaded by trees, the trail continues along the estate’s own asparagus fields and berry plantations to Lünow. There is a shortcut between Lünow and Ketzür. This means the circular trail can be hiked in two stages. One particular eye-catcher here on Lake Oberer Beetzsee is the gull island Buhnenwerder, where an information panel provides information about the special nature of the former seagull colony. The idyllic villages of Päwesin and Bagow nestle in the Havelland countryside. A rest on Bagower Mühlenberg offers a magnificent view of the Lake Beetzsee and Lake Riewendsee. As you descend, you pass the area of the former sand pit. Building sand used to be mined here. Beyond Vogelgesang residential area, you walk through the Bagower Bruch swampland area with its ancient beech and oak trees. The path leading around dreamy Lake Bruchsee is partly laid out as a nature trail, and the dirt tracks just before Gortz are lined with flowering fruit trees in spring. After a short, sandy climb to the Hasselberg, Ketzür greets you on the horizon with its striking post mill, as well as a noteworthy church. Via Butzow, the route consistently follows the western shore of Lake Beetzsee to Radewege offering wonderful views of the water along the way. The last stretch to the centre of Brandenburg is partly along the road and partly close to the shore of the lake. Tip: For a two-day tour with overnight stay in the “north”, we recommend hiking round the right-hand side of the Seenkette, covering a distance of approximately 27.4 kilometres on the first day, and round the left-hand side of the Seenkette on the second day covering approximately 25.3 kilometres. Route sign: green stork against a white background Length/walking time: 52.7 kilometres (northern route 20 kilometres/5 hours, southern route 37 kilometres/8.5 hours) Suitable for: experienced hikers Parking: Car park Ziegelstrasse, Brandenburg an der Havel Public transport: Bus stop Brandenburg, Ziegelstrasse, buses B/522, F/526