Tom`s travels: Fortress Rabenstein hike (20/05/2023)

On a May weekend, Nayeli, Kyle, Ania, and I decided to do a hike near Berlin. I suggested we head to the town of Bad Belzig and from there hike to reach a castle in the middle of a forest, Burg Rabenstein. Once we reached Bald Belzig by train we first walked around the nice old town, which Ania and I had already visited before, and its main monument, the Burg Eisenhardt. At that point we then started our hike, heading south out of town and through the countryside. We first passed through a forested area which then gave way to a series of fields, some of which included rapeseed plantations. and fresh green wheat ones. The morning had been cloudy but soon after the sun started coming out. After a few kilometers, we then reached the small village of Kranepuhl. We walked through it passing by its nice field stone and timber-framed village church and then stopped on a bench next to it to eat our lunch. As we ate an eagle flew above us screeching out its call as it hovered above. Once we were done with lunch, we continued on our walk, and after another forested section and more fields, we reached another village, Lühnsdorf, also with its typical church in the middle of town, built in brick in a neo romanesque style at the end of the 19th century and with a peculiar slate covered bell tower. From the village, the path led us again through a nice forested area which eventually brought us to yet another village, Rädigke. Here we stopped for a little brake in the shade of the Gasthof Moritz, a nice farmhouse with quite some people enjoying their beers inside. The path then left the village and ran along the Plane River, through the densely and lush forested area of the Planetal, or Plane valley. Eventually after a last stretch uphill through more woods we eventually reached the Fortress Rabenstein. Unfortunately, despite it being just after 4pm, the fortress was empty and the gasthof inside closed. Generally in fact it is only open from 11:30 to 4pm and only on Saturdays and Sundays. That was quite annoying as it was such a sunny Saturday and the sun still high up warm in the sky. Nevertheless, we enjoyed exploring this nice small castle, dating to the 13th century and located on a hill. It is made up of a large circular watchtower at its eastern end which also serves as the main keep and gate entrance, and an uneven central court surrounded by low buildings that sit on the surrounding walls. We walked around a bit and then decided to head out and back downhill. We then reached the nearby village of Raben, where we decided to have the beer which we had planned at the fortress, at the local Gasthaus Hemmerling instead. We sat in the beer garden and enjoyed our drink. Then it was time for us to go, we walked past the small nice church, which was open so we quickly had a peek inside. Built in a Romanesque style with fieldstones and a baroque timber-framed bell tower, it featured a really nicely decorated interior with colorful walls and wooden stalls. Not far from it, we reached then the bus stop from where we then took the bus back to Bad Belzig and then the train to Berlin.