The best hikes from bus stations in Fassung Pohlitz

Technically a bit demanding. When wet, be careful with roots and leaves. A wonderful MTB route. We didn't meet a single hiker on the entire trail on a Tuesday in May (after morning rain) in the afternoon. Even though cycling on forest paths - also in nature reserves - is permitted in Brandenburg, in my opinion, you should not plan this tour on Sundays or public holidays or during vacations. So that it remains permitted, if it continues to be possible without competition on less frequented days.

Technically somewhat demanding. When wet, be careful with roots and leaves. A wonderful MTB route. We didn't meet a single hiker on the entire trail on a Tuesday afternoon in May (after morning rain). Even though cycling on forest paths is permitted in Brandenburg - even in nature reserves - in my opinion, you should not plan this tour on Sundays or public holidays or during vacations. So that it remains permitted, if it continues to be possible without competition on less frequented days.

Technically a bit demanding. When wet, be careful with roots and leaves. A wonderful MTB route. On a Tuesday (after morning rain) in May, in the afternoon, we didn't meet a single hiker on the entire trail. Even though cycling on forest paths - also in nature reserves - is permitted in Brandenburg, in my opinion, you should not plan this tour on Sundays or public holidays or during school holidays. So that it remains permitted, if it continues to be easily possible on less frequented days without competition.

From the clay pits near the grinding mill (on the Pohlitz Mühlenfließ), raw clay was transported by field railway to the large ring kiln of the Maaß brickworks on the Oder-Spree Canal. (Source: Eisenhüttenstadt and its Surroundings, Klaus-Dieter Gansleweit, Akademie-Verlag Berlin, 1986)

Here you can compare your jump with that of the forest animals.

I can really recommend this area – so great and so interesting and varied.

In the middle of the Brandenburg Forest, where the pines filter the light with their long needles and the blackberry vines have long since taken over, it still stands – a picnic shelter seemingly out of time. The wood is weathered, the roof crooked – and yet: a place made for a sandwich with a view. No Instagram filter can convey what this place has to say. The journey here isn't an event, but a transition. Old waterworks paths, the occasional crackling in the woods, an information board that has long since fallen silent. You don't come for the view, you come because you don't want to be seen for a change. And that's precisely why this shelter is so beautiful. It stands there as if it no longer wants to prove anything to anyone – and in doing so, it's doing exactly the right thing. The wood creaks when you sit down. The wind plays with the roof, as if testing whether it will hold today. And the stream that flows through the grounds somewhere back there doesn't make a sound. Anyone who sits here not only has a break, but also a moment of clarity: The world is complicated – but a wooden bench in the forest can be quite simple. Perhaps a buzzard will pass by. Maybe just a mosquito. Maybe you just stay seated because there's nothing to do. And at some point you realize: That's enough.

When hiking through the Schlaubetal, you feel as if you have entered another world. The paths meander gently along the Schlaube, sometimes right on the bank, sometimes a little higher up through the forest. The dense trees cast a soft, green light on the path, and the gentle rippling of the water accompanies you step by step. Here you feel alone with nature, without the constant noise of civilization. Instead, you only hear the cracking of branches under your feet and the occasional call of a bird. The old trees in particular, which sometimes lie across the river, seem to tell stories from a time long past. The small wooden bridges and railings convey a feeling of security as you continue along the water. There is something calming, almost meditative, about the silence that surrounds the valley. It is particularly charming when you pause in one of the clearings to take in the peaceful scenery. The beauty of the Schlaubetal lies in its simplicity – no major attractions, but pure, unspoiled nature that reveals itself to hikers on silent soles.