Stage 14 of the "66-Lakes Trail": Highlights and large stones - Fürstenwalde to Bad Saarow

This stage is full of contrasts and small adventures: First, a leisurely stroll through woods and fields, then suddenly, amidst the flat Brandenburg landscape, the Rauener Berge hills rise up. The trail climbs an astonishing 150 meters. Mighty glacial erratics and, at the top, a lookout tower with panoramic views crown the ascent. Nowhere else on the 66 Lakes Trail does it go higher. Below lies the spa town of Bad Saarow on the shores of Lake Scharmützel.  

Length: 14 km
Duration: about 4 hours

Start: Fürstenwalde/Spree train station
Goal: Bad Saarow train station

Mark: Blue dot on a white background

Arrival: RE1 to Fürstenwalde/Spree
Departure: RB35 from Bad Saarow to Fürstenwalde/Spree, then continue with the RE1

Directions/Useful information: From Fürstenwalde train station, the route leads through the town center, across the old town bridge to the opposite bank of the Spree River. Passing through suburban areas, woods, and fields, you reach the village of Rauen and the Rauener Berge hills. Passing the remains of a ski jump, the next landmarks are the imposing Markgrafensteine: glacial erratics of enormous size from the last Ice Age, the largest in the entire state of Brandenburg. From there, it's not far to the observation tower. 209 steps and a small fee are required to reach the platform. The view stretches far across the landscape, seemingly endless in blue and green, and on a clear day, you can even see the Berlin TV Tower. Quiet hiking trails then lead downhill via Petersdorf to Bad Saarow, the end point of this stage. There, you can relax in the spa gardens, at one of the restaurants on the lakeside promenade, or at the thermal baths. From the historic train station, you can take a train back to Berlin, changing trains in Fürstenwalde.

Highlights on the Rauener Berge stage:

• Mountains and sea: From a height of almost 200 meters, from the Rauen observation tower, enjoy the mountain panorama, look down on Lake Scharmützelsee and the Märkisches Meer and greet the Berlin TV tower. 
• Power place: Admire the largest boulders in Northern Germany at the Markgrafensteine
• Hidden: tracking down lost places in the forest
• Fürstenwalde: Heimattiergarten, St. Mary's Cathedral, Brewery Museum, City Museum, Culture Factory, Old Town Hall, City Wall Remains, Lighthouse
• Bad Saarow: historic train station building, Scharmützelsee

Refreshment tips:

• Café Herrlicher 
• Café Schukurama
• Restaurant "Zunfthaus 383"
• Villa Monte Cristo
• Café and Restaurant "The New Stage"

Maps/Literature:

• "66-Seen-Weg, Hikeline hiking guide", Publisher: Esterbauer GmbH, Edition: 3 (2019), ISBN: 978-3-85000-760-3, 11,90 Euro
• "66 Lakes Hike: To the Natural Beauties Around Berlin", Trescher Verlag, 10th edition (2024), ISBN 978-3-89794-623-1, 16,95 euros