Hike to Wildpark-West

This hike takes you along meadows and lush pastures, past fields with poppies and cornflowers to the peat digger ponds in Wildpark-West. The former peat digger ponds are now a paradise for frogs, ducks, and a diverse water and pond plant community.

Length: 10 km
Start/Finish: Bus stop Schäfereistraße, Geltow
Arrival/Departure: Public transport: Bus 631 (direction Werder/ Havel) to stop Geltow, SchäfereistraßeCar: Via B1 to Geltow, SchäfereistraßeSights: Peat digger pondsDuck decoy facilityWildpark with historic paths designed by LennéHeron colonyDirections: Turn right into Meiereistraße at the bus stop Schäfereistraße and follow it until you reach the street "Am Wildgatter," which until the 19th/20th century formed the boundary of the royal wildlife park. Cross the street "Am Pappeltor" and you will find yourself in an extensive meadow and field landscape with a variety of plants, flowers, and dragonflies. The field path turns left and you reach the road towards Wildpark West, which you follow to the right on the cycle path. Before entering the village, turn right into Werderschen Damm. Unfortunately, there is no hiking or footpath here, so please be careful. The former Geltow meadows, which were peat-excavated in the 19th century, extend to the left and right. The peat digger ponds offer insights into a beautiful pond landscape with water lilies, reeds, and ducks paddling around. For safety reasons, continue along the Havel promenade and turn right into the street "Am Wasserwerk" and then right into Fuchsweg. The unique duck decoy facility in the Havel area is unfortunately no longer visible, but a sign in Fuchsweg reminds of it. The duck decoy pond was used at the end of the 17th century to catch wild ducks for the royal table. Behind the Henning von Treschkow barracks, continue on the cycle path until you turn right onto the long-distance hiking trail E10 in front of the railway bridge. Follow the path along the railway tracks until you reach Großer Hirschweg, where you then turn right. The Great Hirschweg is lined with old oaks and beech trees and leads you around Schäfereiberg back to Geltow. After the heron colony, turn right into the second path leading off to the right and you will return to Meiereistraße.

Combination options: Hiking in and around GeltowWildpark hike with "Bayrisches Haus"Maps / Literature: KOMPASS Hiking Map Havelland, 4in1 Hiking Map, 1:50000 with Active Guide and detailed maps including an offline map for use in the KOMPASS app., ISBN: 978-3-99044-255-5, Publishing number: WK 745'Grünes Herz: Cycling, hiking, and water map Havelseen 3: Werder, Potsdam: With Fahrland, Glindow, Geltow, Caputh, Ferch, Michendorf. Scale 1:35,000. ISBN: 978-3-86636-116-4