Sanssouci Palace, the Babelsberg Film Park, the Tropical Islands amusement park or the idyllic Spreewald: Brandenburg is always worth a trip and relies on tourist magnets as well as real insider tips.
In the 12 different travel regions of Brandenburg, diversity is very important. In addition to diverse landscapes and attractive large and small towns, Brandenburg also has amusement parks and castles and palaces. Small and large water rats are also in good hands in Brandenburg. After all, there are more than 3,000 lakes throughout the state. Tourism is of great importance in Germany’s fifth-largest state – and its popularity continues to rise. More and more people are discovering their love of nature here.
State capital Potsdam as a tourist stronghold
One of the most popular destinations in Brandenburg is the state capital Potsdam. In the most populous city in the state, you can’t get past the world-famous Sanssouci Palace and the associated parks, among other things. These are just as much a UNESCO World Heritage Site as Lindstedt Castle and Lindenallee as well as the neighboring Kaiserbahnhof. The Babelsberg Film Park also attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world every year. In the amusement park, which is located right next to the famous film studio, there is something to see and experience on every corner. In the Filmpark, you can immerse yourself in the “secrets of filmmaking” and look behind the scenes of a wide variety of film and series productions. After all, Babelsberg is one of the largest and most modern centres of film and television production in Europe.
Caribbean flair in the “Tropical Island”
For a real dream vacation in the Caribbean, you don’t have to travel thousands of kilometers by plane. In the impressive Tropical Island on the former Brand Airport, about 50 kilometers south of Berlin, you can enjoy Caribbean flair in the middle of Brandenburg. Open all year round, the theme park, which is located in the largest cantilevered hall in the world, consists of many different themed areas.
For example, you can relax on a ten-metre-wide sandy beach in the “South Seas” and enjoy the 31-degree water. In the fascinating Bali Lagoon, two waterfalls, several whirlpools and two water slides await bathers. A large sauna area and various sports facilities such as beach volleyball and football fields are also very popular. In the true-to-the-original tropical village, there are also more than 50,000 rare tropical plants and more than 600 different animal species such as flamingos or turtles, which can otherwise only be experienced in the wild in the tropics. More than 300 overnight accommodations are distributed throughout the hall – including tents, rooms and lodges of different sizes.
“Pure idyll” in the Spreewald
If you like it really idyllic, the southeast of Brandenburg, in the Spreewald, is the right place for you. The protected UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Nature Reserve is one of the most popular travel destinations in Brandenburg. There is a lot going on on the various branches of the Spree and the various small canals, especially in the spring and summer months. The Spreewald, which is also known as a historic cultural landscape, can be experienced on your own with a paddle boat or even with a large barge. With this you can be “chauffeured” through the Spreewald and get the feeling as if you are in the middle of Venice. Around the extensive network of rivers and canals there are countless cycling and hiking trails that invite you to cycle and hike. In the small and large campsites as well as the many guesthouses you can really have a good time.
A real insider tip: The “European Stork Village” Rühstädt
“Pure nature” is also the motto in the Prignitz in northwestern Brandenburg. Here, in the village idyll, you can actually fall in love with the simplicity of country life. The region between Berlin and Hamburg is a real paradise for cyclists and horseback riders. And not only that: storks also feel really at home here, in the middle of the Elbe valley floodplain. If you are traveling here, you should definitely make a detour to the “European Stork Village” Rühstädt. This is – away from the big tourist crowds – a real insider tip for holidaymakers and nature lovers.
Lusatian Lakeland: Pure relaxation on the beach
In the far south, on the border with the Free State of Saxony, those seeking relaxation in particular get their money’s worth – in the Lusatian Lake District. Because where lignite used to be mined, Europe’s largest artificial water landscape and Germany’s fourth-largest lake district have been created in recent years. And the flooding of the disused lignite opencast mines is far from complete. At the lakes that have already been artificially created – including Lake Senftenberg, Lake Altdöbern or Lake Lichtenau near Lübbenau – large local recreation areas with beaches, campsites and numerous activities have been created.
Recreation and sporting activity on the water, away from large tourist crowds, are very important in Havelland in the west of Brandenburg. After all, there are also many beautiful small lakes and canals and “pure nature” here. On weekends, many Berliners in particular take advantage of the popular local recreation area, which is located just a few kilometres from the German capital. Also in the south of Brandenburg is the almost 500 square kilometre Lower Lusatian Heathland Nature Park. In recent decades, the landscape has produced special habitats for various animal and plant species.
Impressive historical technology
For the numerous friends of historical and special technology, the Niederfinow ship lift is a real must. The oldest still working ship lift in Germany is located at the eastern end of the Oder-Havel Canal in the small town of Niederfinow in eastern Brandenburg. The huge F60 conveyor bridge in Lichterfeld in southern Brandenburg should also not be missed by fans of old technology. The 500-metre-long, 200-metre-wide and 80-metre-high former overburden conveyor bridge has been attracting thousands of visitors young and old as a visitor mine for several years. The imposing dimensions and the impressive weight of about 11,000 tons have also earned the F60 the popular nickname “lying Eiffel Tower”
