Poetensteig Trail

The Rheinsberg "Poetensteig" with its magnificent views of the lake and castle is said to have inspired literary outpourings by Theodor Fontane and Kurt Tucholsky. And Crown Prince Frederick, known as the later Prussian King Frederick II, and his brother Heinrich also sought closeness to nature and seclusion here on the wooded lakeside paths.

The romantic circular hiking trail on the outskirts of the small town of Rheinsberg takes you from the baroque garden art of the palace park along unspoiled lake shores and along meandering forest paths. Through reeds and branches you look across the Grienericksee to the impressive baroque castle. And again and again you will discover, among deciduous and coniferous trees, evidence of past times such as the stone obelisk, the remains of the walls of the old dairy or historical monuments, created by Prince Heinrich.

Length: 4 km (approx. 1 hour)
Logo/ route markers: partly blue stripe on white background (European long-distance hiking trail E10), wooden signposts
Start / Finish: Rheinsberg Castle

Arrival / Departure
Public transport: From Berlin main station take the RE5 in the direction of Rostock Hbf./Stralsund to Löwenberg (Mark). Change there to the RB54 to Rheinsberg.
Car: From Berlin city center take the A111 freeway and the B96 to Gransee. From there, take the L223 to Köpernitz and continue on the B112 to Rheinsberg.
Parking: In the Rheinsberg city center or in the parking lot at the Rosenplan at the level of the castle park entrance on Parkstraße.
Trail conditions: natural paths, partly slight incline

Places of interest: Rheinsberg Castle, obelisk, arboretum
Possible combinations: From Lake Stechlin to Rheinsberg

Route description: You start your ascent in the Rheinsberg castle park. After a short time you will meet the obelisk, which is located opposite the castle. And at this obelisk the "Poetensteig" starts. This obelisk is dedicated to the "forgotten heroes" of the Seven Years' War. If you now continue to follow the shoreline of the Grienericksee, you will enter the Boberower Forst or in this case specifically the Bobererower-Kabeln (Kabeln = loose = slack rope). This is the name given to the avenue system that was landscaped to create a connection to the Boberower Forst. Right at the beginning you will encounter an information board that offers some explanations about the forest. Continuing along the path you will come across the ruins of the former dairy. This was part of the "ferme ornée", i.e. the creation of an aesthetic link between the ornamental garden area and the agricultural area. You continue along the shore path in the direction of the village of Warenthin, but before that you turn left and cross the road to the "arboretum". This plantation of different trees, also called "tree nursery", was created on the initiative of the former district forester. You will find there, among other things, the different "Trees of the Year". From the resting place there you look directly onto the Böbereckensee, which is surrounded by a mixed beech forest. Your further path now leads you along the Böbereckensee, where you can find various traces of beavers. Moreover, there is an echo point there. The end of that path turns into the avenue to the catacomb. On this avenue you will find not only the catacomb that gives its name - it is a fictitious burial chamber in memory of deceased friends of Prince Henry, brother of Frederick the Great - but also the Malesherbes column. This commemorates a French minister who was executed during the French Revolution. Finally, you will return to the obelisk via Perspektiv-Allee and look directly across the water to Rheinsberg Castle.

Map recommendation: Cycling, hiking & water map, Rheinsberg lakes, Großer Stechlin, 1:35000, green heart, ISBN 978-3-86636-100-3, 4,95 Euro