Val Canali hike (18/05/2024)

For the weekend, my friends Margo and Denisz decided to go with me to hike in the mountains close to Vicenza. Along the way, we drove through the nice Brenta Valley and then deeper in the mountains stopping for a view of the Ponte Serra waterfalls. Built artificially in 1909 it features two separate waterfalls, a constant smaller one to the right which receives water from a tunnel and powers the Pedesalto plant while the central one is formed from the waters of the Cismon stream. At that time due to the rains of the past days, the Cismon had received a lot of water and thus the waterfalls were at full capacity and quite impressive to look at. After the stop, we continued on our drive and eventually reached the town of Fiera di Primiero right below the first Dolomites. After town, a short drive took us to the Val Canali, the valley where we would be doing our hike. First though we decided to stop at a tiny lake called Welsperg where we had an amazing view of the mountains. The peaks of the Pale di San Martino in fact, still partly snowcapped reflected on the calm waters of the lake providing an amazing sight. The stop turned out to be a great idea too as we later found out for the rest of the day the peaks would be mostly covered in clouds. After admiring the view we got back in the car and completed the drive to reach a parking lot next to the Cant del Gal hotel. From here we started our hike heading uphill up the smaller Pradidali valley. There were barely any tourists/hikers around probably due to the colder and rainier than average days past. In fact, we also shortened our hike up as at one point we saw there was snow at lower altitudes and that meant it would've been much harder and slipper to reached the Pradidali mountain hut at the top. Instead, we reached a reasonable point where we had a great view. From there we headed along the foothill and passed back over to the Canali Valley, we hiked up its length passing by some cows happily grazing on the fresh green grass. Ahead of us despite mostly covered by clouds the snow-capped peaks in all their beauty. After a bit, we came upon a stream which due to the past rains was quite big. There was no way across unless we hiked quite a bit backward so we headed upstream to find a place to ford it. We ended up finding a tighter spot and eventually jumped to the other side. We continued upwards and then got to a forested part. The hike there was much steeper and at the end of it we had reached the Rifugio Treviso. There were further paths starting from there and heading up the mountains but supposedly there was still lots of snow and we didn't wanna risk it so instead turned back and walked down the way we came. Once back at the car, we drove down the valley and eventually reached Corlo Lake. We parked in the little village of Rocca and walked over to the Ponte della Vittoria to have a view of the lake. It is actually a man-made reservoir from the Cismon stream but its setting is really nice surrounded by green lush hills and in the distance the mountains, this time covered in clouds. After the brief stop, we eventually reached the city of Bassano del Grappa. Here I showed my friends the old town, with the main square Piazza della Libertà, and its picturesque setting. At that moment there was an exhibition of historic cars mainly from the early 20th century. We walked over to the famous Ponte Vecchio which crosses over the Brenta River and then walked around the rest of town before finding a place for dinner. We ended up choosing a place called La Bottegara where we had local food, bigoli with duck sauce in my case. Eventually, back to the car, we drove on to Vicenza.

The Ponte Serra waterfall

The Welsperg Lake

The Cant del Gal hut

The Pradidali valley

View of the valley

The Canali valley

A cow and the snow-capped peaks of the Pale di San Martino

The bridge over the Corlo Lake

View of the lake

The main square in Bassano del Grappa

The old town and bridge

Coswig & Oranienbaum-Wörlitz (12/05/2024)

On a nice sunny day I decided to do a day trip from Berlin to Saxony Anhalt. My first stop of the day was the town of Coswig, located right on the bank of the Elbe river. Once there I left the train station and headed into town, reaching shortly after the church of St Nikolai. Built as a romanesque building in the 12th century it was destroyed during the Schmalkaldic War in 1547, rebuilt after it suffered damaged during the Thirty Years' War and again refurbished at the end of the 17th century when it took its current form. The interior featured a nice baroque furnishing while the exterior still held an impressive 6m high gothic portal from the original church. From the church I walked over to the main square, with its town hall, also destroyed in the Schmalkaldic War but rebuilt in a Renaissance-style incorporating some elements of the late Gothic predecessor. The building was then extended in the 19th and 20th centuries. A little further, on the western side of town I then reached the castle. Originally a structure from the 12th century was located there, but was destroyed along with the rest of the town in the Schmalkaldic War. It was rebuilt thereafter, and expanded during the 17th and then 18th centuries into its impressive baroque form. Unforunately though the castle has fallen into disrepair and currently finds itself in a pitiful condition. Nonethrless it was an admirable structure and looked much better from afar as I walked away from it. I reached the bank of the Elbe river and here then waited for a ferry to take me to the other side. Along with a couple of cyclists we paid our ticket and were ferried to the other bank. Once there I followed the cycle path and after a few kilometers reached the Wörlitzer Park which I had previously visited. This cultural landscape and Unesco world heritage site is known as the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm was created in the 18th century under the regency of Duke Leopold III of Anhalt-Dessau and is one of the first and largest English parks in Germany and continental Europe. I walked through it and enjoyed the beauty of its trees, lakes and atmosphere before continuing on southwards. I left the park behind and headed through open countryside until I reached the next village, Horstdorf. Once I passed the village I reached a main road a few hundred meters later went out of it to enter a small forest. At the end of it I then came to the park of the Oranienbaum Palace. The main alleway that cut right through the middle of the park had a beautiful blooming lane of rhododendrons. Originally a baroque garden it was transformed into a landscape garden at the end of the 18th century English landscape gardener Sir William Chambers into the only English-Chinese garden still largely preserved in Germany. In fact it sill featùures a nice five-storey pagoda, a Chinese teahouse accessible from the water and several arched bridges. On the southern side, there's the Orangerie, built in 1811 and measuring 175m in length and thus one of the largest in Europe. On the eastern end of the park I then reached the palace itself. It was built between 1681 and 1685 as a summer residence for Princess Henriette Catharina, wife of Prince John George II of Anhalt-Dessau. After the death of the prince in 1693, the palace was rebuilt for the widow as her residence into the present three-winged palace with clear dutch influence. I walked around it and admired it from the other side, the main part facing the city, as well. I didn't go inside as it required a visit with a guided tour only and I wished to continue onwards. I visited the town which developed around the palace after its construction, including the baroque church from 1712. Then I headed out eastwards and left the town behind. Soon after I reached the small village of Goltewitz with its village church dating to the 13th and 14th centuries. I continued onwards and entered a large forest which i followed for most of the rest of the way. Trough some deep parts and then a couple of open fields I continued so for several kilometers until I eventually reached the remote station of Radis where I could get a train back to Berlin.

 

The church of St Nikolai in Coswig

Interior of the church

Schloss Coswig

The castle across the Elbe

The Gartenreich Dessau-Wörlitz

A blooming lane of rhododendrons

Schloss Oranienbaum

The chinese tea house

The pagoda

Another view of the palace

The Stadtkirche

The Goltewitz church

Walking through the forest

Neubrandenburg, Burg Stargard & Neustrelitz (11/05/2024)

On another day trip from Berlin, I decided to head north to Mecklenburg Vorpommern and visit a few towns. Unfortunately due to work on the train lines, there wasn't a direct train during that period but I had to switch once to a bus. Having arrived in Neubrandenbrug I headed towards the old town, still surrounded by the original medieval walls and some of the best-preserved in the country. I entered the old town through the Fangelturm, a 15th-century medieval tower part of the walls and with a small gate made in the 19th century. Right nearby was the church of St John built in a red brick gothic style during the 14th century and part of the Franciscan monastery. Today the church and monastery host the city museum. From there I headed through the middle of the old town, though most of the buildings were destroyed during WWII. In the middle of town was the Marienkirche, a red brick gothic-style church from the end of the 13th century. At the southern end of the old town, I reached the medieval walls once again and here came to the Stargarder Tor, one of the four medieval city gates which gave the nickname to the city, the city of four gates. This one built in 1311 consists of two parts, an outer gate and an inner one, and connected by a wall between them. The outer gate, richly adorned with gothic gables and a height of 18m conceals its defensive nature while the inner gate reaches a height of 24m. The latter, on the city side, features nine terracotta figures called Adorantines with open arms, also present on another of the city gates, but nothing is known about the symbolism and age of these figures. From the city gate, I then followed the inner perimeter of the walls admiring the interesting feature of the so-called Weikhaus a series of small houses built directly in the walls once used for observation and defense; the city once counted a total of 56 of these buildings. On the eastern side of the old town, I came across the Neues Tor, the other city gate hosting those cryptic figures. This is the youngest of the four gates having been built in the 15th century, but only the inner gate has survived with the outer one and semi-circular ringwork having been destroyed during the 17th and 19th centuries. Not too far ahead following the walls, I came to the next gate, the Friedländer Tor. The best preserved of them all it features an inner gate, an outer wall, and the semi-circular ringwork totaling 90m in length altogether. In the 18th century, two half-timbered gatehouses were integrated into the ramparts for the tax collector and gatekeeper. Following the walls once again I got to the other side of town, on the west, where I then saw the last gate, the Treptower Tor. This one too featured an inner and outer gate connected by a wall. Built in the 14th century it is also the most beautiful with the inner gate reaching a height of 32m and double the height of the outer one which had beautiful gothic gables. In the 18th century, a gatehouse for the watchmen and tax collector was integrated into the ramparts. Once I made a nice round of the town it was time to head out. I passed through the Stargard gate and headed out of the city and into the Lindetal a forested valley along the Linde river. I followed the river, enjoyed the nice walk, and then came out into the open countryside. I followed the trail which took me once again through the forest and after a few kilometers eventually reached the next destination, the town of Burg Stargard named so after its main monument, the castle. I walked through town, passing the town church rebuilt after a fire destroyed the older medieval one in 1758, and headed uphill to reach what is considered Germany's most northern hill castle. After reaching the structure I paid the entry ticket and started touring the castle grounds. Standing on top of a 90m hill, this castle was built in the 13th century in a typical brick gothic style. I entered through the outer ramparts and lower gate and reached the open area where service buildings were erected around the main keep. Once the stables, prison house, and barn now they host a museum, cafè, and hotel. Through the upper gate, I then entered the inner bailey where the main keep is located. I first climbed to the top and admired the nice panorama, The keep was built in 1250 reaching a height of 29m with 4m thick walls and a diameter of 12m. Once back down I walked over to the nearby building, the so-called crooked house once housed the magistrate's offices but burnt down completely on 18 December 1919, due to arson and still remains in ruins. Next to it, another building, the old mint, was erected in 1250. It served as a brewery until 1500, and after the castle's modernization during the 16th century, it served as a kitchen and storehouse and turned into minting use at the beginning of the 18th century before then being used as a stable, corn loft, and more recently youth school, youth hostel, and then restaurant. Next up was the castle chapel which once formed part of the upper gate. In fact, the gate was inserted into the inner bailey's walls and a chapel was built in its upper storey. In 1520, the drawbridge was dismantled, the gateway and the middle window were connected and then bricked up, and the building was refurnished as a chapel, sixty years later, it was expanded towards the inner courtyard. Once out of the inner bailey I toured the rest of the castle grounds admiring it from different parts and perspectives. I then completed the round by visiting the museum inside the former stables where there were exhibitions on country life. After having visited the castle I headed back into town and to the train station where I took a bus to the last stop of the day, Neustrelitz. The town consists of a well-planned baroque town center in an octagonal form around a central square. Here stands the city church from the end of the 18th century and the town hall from 1841. The city was also known for the Neustrelitz Palace, a baroque 18th-century palace that served as the main residence of the Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. However, unfortunately, the palace was destroyed during World War II and was not reconstructed and instead fully dismantled. Nowadays a park remains on site and plans for its reconstruction are being discussed. Surviving from the castle complex are still the18th-century Orangerie, the palace church built in the 19th century in neo-gothic style, and the Louise Temple, built in 1891 in the shape of a Greek temple to house the tomb of Queen Louise of Prussia, born Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Right next to the park was the Zierker See, a large lake bordering the city to the west. I walked along its shore for a brief part and then headed back through the city, After a final walk around I eventually reached the train station from where I took a ride back home to Berlin. 

The entrance to the regional museum in Neubrandenburg

The former church of St John

The Marienkirche

The Stargarder Tor

The medieval walls

The Neues Tor

The Friedlander Tor

Another view of the medieval walls

The Treptower Tor

A street in the old town

Through the Lindetal

A view from the top of Burg Stargard's keep

The Burg Stargard castle complex

Another view of the complex

Neustrelitz's old town

Neustrelitz's Schlosskirche

Hike from Schwedt to Angermünde (09/05/2024)

On a sunny September weekend, Ania and I decided to do a hiking trip in northeastern Brandenburg close to the border with Poland. We first reached the town of Schwedt on the Oder River, which right next to it forms the Lower Oder Valley National Park. The city had once an old town that was though bombed during WW2. Furthermore, after the war the city grew because of its oil refinery, one of the largest in the country, and many typical plattenbau buildings were built all around. Once there we saw the few traces of the old city left, the Berlischky-Pavillon in a rococo style from the late 18th century, a few townhouses, and the church of St Catherine, originally built in the 13th century but rebuilt in the 19th century in neogothic style and again after the war. From the city, we headed southeast and left it behind us following a path and cycling road parallel to one of the main canals of the Oder River. The way was really nice and the sun pleasant. To our right the canal and to the left the marshy land all the way to the river. After a few kilometers, we crossed over the canal and reached the village of Criewen. It had a small manor, the Schloss or Gutsanlage Criewen, originally dating to the 18th century but rebuilt a century later. Around it was a nice park and to the west the village church, originally built between the 13th and 14th centuries but refurbished during the 19th century. At the site, a small church gathering was taking place where locals were having a small potluck. One could donate something and then get food from a couple of stands. We sat among them and ate our sandwiches and then took some tea and dessert from them after leaving some coins. It was quite a nice and enjoyable break. Back on track, we followed the trail that headed through a forest and on a hilly side to the village of Stützkow. Here we crossed once again the canal and rejoined the main cycling path. We met a small herd of sheep along the way and after a few kilometers crossed once again the bridge to reach the village of Stolpe. It featured a street and a single row of houses and above a solitary red brick tower dominating the landscape from its hilltop. This tower was once part of a castle complex that dominated the hilltop. Begun as a Slavic rampart from the 7th/8th centuries, its current form comes from the 12th century when the area was under Danish rule as the rest of the Duchy of Pomerania. In fact, most probably the masonry and bricks used for its construction were probably transported from southern Sweden by ship across the Baltic Sea and the Oder. With an external diameter of 18 m, the tower is considered the largest keep in Germany. Once up there we enjoyed a beautiful view of the Lower Oder valley stretching all the way to Poland. We then left the hill and headed along a main road before following once again a path through the countryside. We passed several early and green wheat fields and here and there some wind turbines. After a few kilometers so, we entered the town of Angermünde, traversing its old town and eventually reaching its train station from where we took our ride back to Berlin. 

Schwedt city center

The church  of St Catherine

A view of the Oder River valley

One of the waterways

Schloss Criewen

The Criewen church

The village of Stützkow

Stolpe and its medieval towe

A view from the tower

A field with wind turbines