All of this makes the tower walk an unforgettable experience. Of course, the whole family can “hike the tower”: the oldest tower graduates are over 80 years old, the youngest just a few months old.
The path to the diploma is actually quite simple: Anyone who has climbed the observation tower, owl tower, ski jump tower and Bismarck tower and has their ascent confirmed on the tower card will receive the popular Bad Freienwalde tower diploma. Simply hand in or send in the completed "stamp card" to the Bad Freienwalde tourist information office and your very own diploma will usually be issued immediately.
Start / Finish: Station Falkenberg/Mark / Bad Freienwalde train station
Length / Duration: 16 kilometers / about 4 hours (including the tower climbs)
Mark: white tower on a brown background or inscription "Turmwanderweg", red dot (Oderlandweg)
Arrival / departure by public transport:
- Arrival: with the regional train RE 3 or RB 24 to Eberswalde, then with RB 60 to Falkenberg/Mark
- Check out: back from Bad Freienwalde (Oder) train station
Directions
The starting point is Falkenberg/Mark train station. From there, go to the town center and at the crossroads turn left along the B 167 in the direction of Bad Freienwalde to Fontaneplatz. Follow the markings for the Theodor Fontane Trail (blue line on a white background) into the forest until the markings for the tower hiking trail begin on the left at the edge of the town. Now it goes steeply uphill to the Kammweg, where a wonderful route leads through deciduous and mixed forest on good forest paths towards the Bismarck Tower. Past the Tobbenberg shelter, it goes up and down briefly to a crossroads. Turning left here, the path leads slightly downhill to the Bismarck Tower on the Schlossberg (approx. 1 hour from Falkenberg/Mark).
The climb up the tower (built in 1895, 112 steps, 28 meters high) is rewarded in good weather with a breathtaking view of the Niederfinow boat lift, the Niederoderbruch, the Oberbarnim forest hills and the old town of Bad Freienwalde. Don't forget: stamp on the tower tour card (available from the tower guard)!
Then you go back to the crossroads, where you follow the markings on the left. Shortly afterwards you go around the Watzmann. Then the path leads down into the Mariannenschlucht and back up to the idyllically situated Teufelssee (approx. 45 minutes from the Bismarck Tower).
A narrow road now leads past the youth hostel "Am Teufelssee" to the substation. There you turn right into the forest. A short climb leads to the "Thüringer Blick", which branches off a few meters to the left of the main path. Back on the tower path you come to a path junction: here you go right on the wide forest path, then left until you reach the first houses.
The House of Nature Conservation with the Owl Tower is not far away (approx. 45 minutes from the Devil's Lake). In the spacious show and educational garden there are many cosy spots for a picnic.
In the Nature Conservation Museum you can learn a lot about the life's work of the nature conservationist and creator of the nature conservation owl Kurt Kretschmann. Once you've had enough, you can climb the 54 steps of the Owl Tower. This climb is also rewarded with a view of the Bad Freienwalde forest area, the town centre and the spa district. Here you can make out the chapel through the dense greenery above the mud bath.
After stamping the tower tour card, cross the B 158 and follow the tower markings to the right up the hill. At the "Offi" community and youth center, turn left and walk between the trees down the path to the Jahnstadion. From there, the path leads right past the stadium in the direction of the "Sparkassen-Skiarena" ski jump in Papengrund. The inrun tower of the 66-meter jump can also be climbed and rewards climbers not only with a stamp on the participant card for the tower diploma, but also with a view of the wide open countryside and the 4 jumps (K 10, K 20, K 40, K 66).
The tower path now leads through the Papenberge and past the rose garden (former fountain cemetery) to the Kurfürstenquelle spring. This is a few steps away from the path. But the spring water is said to have healing and invigorating properties, and so a sip of fresh spring water gives you strength for the final stage that follows, which begins with a steep climb up 225 steps to the chapel mentioned above. The small building dates from 1887 and is reminiscent of the previous building from 1816 on the same spot.
Now the tower hiking trail goes steeply downhill again. Soon you cross the old road to Sonnenburg, where the path is marked with a yellow dot next to the tower symbol: Both markings lead straight to the observation tower on the Galgenberg. This last climb up the tower also guarantees the last stamp on the tower tour card. You get to the train station via the stairs from the tower in the direction of Melcherstrasse. At the end of the street, the visitor guidance system leads through the castle park to Königstrasse, to the market square, to Bahnhofstrasse and finally to the train station.
Sights along the route:
- Bismarck Tower
- Evangelical Guest and Conference House Malche
- Owl Tower
- ski jump tower
- observation tower
The best restaurants:
- forest restaurant "Köhlerei"
Information on site:
- Tourist Information Bad Freienwalde
