Hiking trail along the Bretterschen Graben

Even Gerhart Hauptmann loved to walk through the silence of the forests and to be inspired.

The Bretter's Ditch was dug in 1752 to drain the fields and meadows of the colonists and is part of the former floodplain of the Spree. The ditch already starts at the Rathauspark, the hiking trail then from the Seestraße. It leads past lush meadows directly to the Spree. Along the way, many places invite you to linger.

Length: 5,4 km

Start: City Hall Park or Seestraße
Destination: Neu Zittauer Straße

Logo / route sign: white sign with orange horizontal stripe

Arrival/Departure: RE1 or S3 train station Erkner

Directions:
The trail can already be started in the Rathauspark at the Dämeritzsee. From there it leads south along the lakeside promenade. At the end, keep to the right, follow the lakeside road and after about 100 m turn into the path on the left side of the road. After about 60 m, the actual hiking trail begins with a stub embankment that leads across the wetland.

After that, a sandy path leads past family homes, meadows, groves of trees and a variety of flora. One then arrives at Buchhorster Straße. Here the path is briefly interrupted and turns right again into the meadow area on the other side of the road, just before the bridge.

With a view of grazing cows, the trail continues to the Spree River. Rest areas invite you to have a picnic and offer views over the extensive Spree meadows. Through the residential area "Am Schützenwäldchen" you reach Neu Zittauer Straße. Here you have two options besides returning the same way.

Return route 1: Follow Neu Zittauer Straße for about 300 m and then turn into Bergstraße. At the end of the street keep to the right and follow Wuhlhorster Straße until it meets Buchhorster Straße again. Turn left here and after about 350 m you will reach the meadow path on the right again, which now leads in the opposite direction to the starting point.

Return route 2: Follow Neu Zittauer Straße, which turns into Friedrichstraße after about 1 km. Follow this street until you reach Seestraße or Rathauspark.

Attractions: The Museumshof am Sonnenluch with the museum of local history gives an overview of the most important epochs, events and personalities of Erkner's history in various exhibitions. The outdoor area with herb garden, meadow orchard, insect hotel and historic wood-burning oven invites you to linger.

The Gerhart Hauptmann Museum provides insight into the life and work of the Nobel Prize winner, who lived in this house and found his way to writing here.

Condition of the path / route: no information given

Maps / literature: flyer available on the website of the city of Erkner