Müritz National Park (01/05/2024)

On the first weekend of May, Ania and I decided to go on a day trip to hike in the Müritz National Park, north of Berlin, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. After taking the train we got off at the station of Kratzeburg where we would start our hike. We began by heading through open countryside, siding the Käbelicksee, and then a bit later another lake, the Granziner See. From there on we officially entered the national park, starting to head through the typical pine forests of northern and eastern Germany. After a bit of walking through the forest we passe yet another lake, Pagelsee, and then started heading northwards following the main trail. A few kilometers later, we bordered the Priesterbäker See and halfway up its length took a slight detour to climb up the Käflingsberg lookout tower. This 55m high tower stands on top of the 100m high hill of the same name. From the top, we could then admire an amazing 360-degree view. All around a vast endless green of the forests that cover the national park. Here and there the glistening blue of the many lakes dotting the landscape shimmering in the sunlight. Heading back down the tower we rejoined the trail and continued further through the forest. At one point we took another small detour this time reaching a platform on the Priesterbäker See where all alone, had a beautiful view of the lake with its shimmering water and the sound of birds all around us. Heading back to the trail we reached a small hamlet, called Speck, where an 800-year-old large-leaved linden. Nearby we reached the Hofsee where I had a refreshing naked swim. Continuing on and bordering the Specker See we spotted a large herd of cows and finally, the more apt deciduous trees were taking the place of the pine ones. As we continued we passed by some smaller lakes, Rederangsee and Warnkersee, and even spotted a large hare right on the trail. Finally, we came in sight of Waren the largest town in the area, and the immense Müritz which we had constantly kept to our left in the distance. The lake is the second-largest in Germany, after Lake Constance, and the largest located entirely in the country. After reaching Waren, we walked through the old town and then headed to the train station 36km from our starting point where we eventually took our ride back to Berlin.

The forest near Kratzeburg

View from the Käflingsberg lookout tower

On top of the tower

View of the tower

The forest of the national park

The Priesterbäker See

Old houses along the way

Cows grazing

Along the trail

View of Waren

The old town

Osterburg, Seehausen & Jerichow Monastery (14/04/2024)

During a mid-April weekend I decided to head to Sachsen Anhalt and visit a couple of towns and a monastery. My first stop was the town of Osterburg. Once there I left the train station and headed through the old town. I walked along a circular street that trods on what was once the medieval walls that encircled the city and which now features nice villas and houses. After that I reached the main church, St Nikolai, originally built in a Romanesque style during the 12rth century it was rebuilt in the 15th century in a late Gothic style, later refurnished in the 19th century, I found it open so went inside to visit. After the visit, I went through the Kleiner Markt with its Neptune fountain, made in Italy at the beginning of the 20th century. Walking through the rest of town I admired the nice architecture which included picturesque timber-framed buildings. Then heading back to the station I took a short ride and ended up in nearby Seehausen. Known as Hansestadt Seehausen, despite its distance from the Baltic Sea it became a member of the Hanseatic League in 1359 due to its location on the river Aland, a tributary of the Elbe. Its highlight is the church of St Peter, built in a Romanesque style in the 12th century but transformed in the current Gothic style in the mid-15th century and featuring two twin towers reaching a height of 62 meters. Unfortunately, as I approached it I found it closed so I couldn't visit the interior. I continued on through town and reached the northern end of the old town where the Beustertor is located. This 15th-century gate is the only one of five gates of the medieval walls which was not demolished in the 19th century. Right in front of it was the Salzkirche, a church built around 1460 in a brick Gothic style. Heading back through town I admired some nice timber-framed houses and passed by the small main square where the only ice cream shop was located and all the locals converged. Once back at the train station I then took a train to the city of Stendal and once there switched to a bus that took me to the small village of Jerichow. Here I then proceeded to visit the famous Jerichow Monastery, after paying an entry ticket. Included in the entry was an audioguide which through a QR on my phone I was able to listen to while touring the complex. Despite its name and its look, Jerichow was not really a monastery but rather a collegiate church. Founded in 1144 it was then managed by Premonstratensian canons which started the construction of the collegiate church. A three-naved Romanesque basilica was built in 1172 with the addition of a crypt and later a winter rectory and administrative offices. In the following century construction of the summer rectory and the cloister began. The last phase of construction was the addition of the westernmost bay with the 56-meter-high towers and the western façade from 1256 to 1262 in an early Gothic style. As an outstanding example of brick Romanesque architecture, the collegiate church of St. Mary and St. Nicholas is one of the oldest such buildings in northern Germany. The building was also a significant example of a transfer of style from Italy with master craftsmen from there who were involved in the early construction of the complex. I started out by visiting the cloister and then the chapterhouse dating to the end of the 12th century and occupying the eastern wing. Then heading towards the church I admired the beautiful portal of the canons, featuring a rich decoration with vegetable ornaments, representations of animals, and mythical creatures including that of a fox. The fox is disguised with the canon's religious robe while preaching to two geese, depicting the warning of false prophets and preachers. Next up was the interior of the church, a classic simple Romanesque with a 13th-century baptismal font right next to the western main face, large columns separating the three naves, and a raised apse. Below the apse, was the crypt with light grey sandstone pillars with elaborate finely crafted palmette and diamond band decorations some of which with figurative depictions. One of the pillars, the one on the far end, was taken to Magdeburg from the forum in Rome by Emperor Otto I in the 10th century and eventually made its way to Jericho. Next up, back through the cloister I visited two adjoining large rooms, the summer and winter refectories where the monks would have their meals depending on the season. Next to the winter one in fact there was a small room that served as a quite advanced heater that served its purpose well. Both refectories featured nice columns with decorated capitals. From there I then headed out and past the distillery, one of the main features of this and other monasteries. Now it was turned into a small museum detailing the complex's history. Once outside I then admire the complex from afar and from different perspectives getting to the western facade with its twin towers. One last walk through the herb garden, quite typical in German monasteries, I then out of the complex and through the village. Here I then came across the Romanesque town church of St. George, a brick building erected in the 13th century with a half-timbered tower that was added in the 17th century. Next to it is the castle hill, an artificially raised mound that was originally located directly on the Elbe and is now a few hundred meters from it as the Elbe changed its course several times after floods. A tower mound castle was built on the hill in the 12th century, surrounded by a double moat, a circular wall, and ramparts but was destroyed during the Thirty Years' War. In from the castle hill, I then waited for the bus that eventually took me to the town of Genthin. Here, I had some time until my next ride so walked around town exploring a little. However, as it was late everything was already closed and so I only admired the main square and baroque three-nave hall church of Sankt Trinitatis from the outside. Eventually, I headed to the train station and back to Berlin. 

The church of St Nikolai in Osterburg

The Kleiner Markt

A street in the old town with the church of St Nikolai

The Petrikirche in Seehausen

Another view of the church

The Beustertor

A street in the old town

The Jerichow Monastery

The monastery church

One of the refectories

The view from outside

The monastery seen from its park

View of the church's apse

Jerichow's Stadtkirche

Neustadt-Glewe & Grabow (13/04/2024)

On a quite warm mid-April weekend, I decided on a day trip northwest of Berlin to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. My first stop was the town of Neustadt-Glewe. Once there I got off the train and headed towards the old town, coming across its main monument, Burg Neustadt-Glewe. Considered one of the best-preserved medieval castles in the state, it was built in the middle of the 13th century and further refurbished during the 14th and 15th centuries. Located on a slight butte in the southern part of town it dominates the area and the nearby Elde river. Today it hosts a restaurant on one side and the city museum on the other. I entered the small courtyard by passing through the main and only gate, sided by the tall thick keep tower. Once inside I took a few pictures and then headed back out to explore the rest of town. Close by I reached the Marienkirche, the town's main church. Towerless and in a single-nave brick form this church was built in a Gothic style during the 14th century. After a fire in 1728 it was rebuilt and in fact, features a baroque interior. From the church, I then walked through the nice main square, where the town hall was located, and past the Neues Schloss built between the 17th and 18th centuries as the residence of the future Duke Christian Ludwig II and now turned into a hotel. Once I was done touring the town it was time to head out. I left Neustadt-Glewe behind, heading through some pine forests and past colorful yellow rapeseed fields. After more than a couple of hours' walk, I eventually reached the next town, Grabow. Also situated on the river Elde, it has a small old town with several timber-framed houses. I quickly reached the main square, with the nice 18th-century town hall and other houses, mostly in timber framing, and then tried to visit the main church, St Georg. Built in a gothic brick style it features a tall tower but unfortunately, it was closed so I couldn't visit the interior. Instead, I wandered around town, walking through nearly all the streets in order to admire the nice timber-framed buildings the oldest of which was from 1702. I then waited by the river on a bench enjoying the warm sun until the train came to take me back home to Berlin

The Schloss Neustadt-Glewe

The Burg Neustadt-Glewe

Interior of the castle

The Mariekirche

The town hall

A street in the old town

Through a pine forest

Rapeseed field

Grabow's old town

The church of St Georg

The main square and town hall

A street in the old town

Freiberg, Nossen & Grimma (06/04/2024)

 At the beginning of April, I decided to do a day trip to Saxony. After getting on a train in Berlin, after a couple of switches, I eventually reached the first town, Freiberg.  The town was founded around 1168, and was a centre of the mining industry, specifically silver, in the Ore Mountains for centuries. My first monument there was the Cathedral which I visited after paying for an entry ticket. Despite its name, it was actually just a collegiate church as it never had the seat of a bishop. Built starting in the 12th century it was further expanded and then refurbished after the fire that destroyed most of the city in 1484 getting its current late Gothic aspect. The interior was a marvel and still had two main features of the early building, the crucifix group from 1225 and the impressive late Romanesque Golden Gate also from the same year. The latter consists of an arched sandstone portal on the southern apse of the church with richly decorated columns and sculptures and is considered one of the major works of 13th-century German art. From the late gothic features, apart from the impressive high hall structure with its many columns, there were two striking pulpits, worthy of contending with Italian ones. The so-called Tulip Pulpit from 1505 was made in porphyry tuff and features an intricate pattern like that of a blooming flower or growing tree with figures of saints, the symbols of the evangelists, and the figures of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child. Next to it, was a second pulpit, quite rare to find two like that in a church. This one called the Miner's Pulpit was built in 1638 in sandstone and features sculpted depictions of the donors of the monument itself, Freiberg's mayor Jonas Schönlebe and his wife, as well as relief depictions of the Passion of Christ. As the name suggests, the pulpit steps are supported by a kneeling figure of a miner in working clothes, and the pulpit basket by a standing figure of a miner. In addition to those was the Great Organ dating to between 1711 and 1714, some Renaissance and Baroque grave monuments and paintings, and the striking high choir. Here is the funeral chapel of the electoral family, the protestant Saxon princely family of Wettin who reigned from 1539 to 1694. Originally Gothic, the choir was reconstructed in 1590 by an Italian sculptor, Nosseni, in a beautiful Mannerist style. It features bronze statues of some princes and their wives crowned by rich marble. The ceiling is painted with a Last Judgment, quite unique for Northern and Central Europe. At the center of the choir stands the monument and tomb of Elector Moritz of Saxony, designed by two Italian masters. Touring around the Cathedral and its partly surviving cloister holding now some gravestones and an 800-year-old Romanesque baptismal font I then headed out to explore the rest of the city. I passed through the Untermarkt, one of the town's main squares, right behind the Cathedral, and then continued on to reach the church of St Nikolai. Originally a Romanesque church it was rebuilt following the infamous 15th-century fire but still keeps the original twin Romanesque towers. Not far further I then reached the Obermarkt, the city's main square, with nice buildings all around it including the town hall. I passed by another church, the Petrikirche, located on the highest point in the city center refurbished in a Baroque style and with two towers, the tallest of which reaches a height of 74m. From there I eventually reached the Freudenstein Castle, at the northwestern end of town. Built starting in the 12th century it was then reconstructed in the 16th century in a Renaissance style but severely damaged two centuries later during the Seven Years' War. Currently, restored, it hosts a museum called Terra Mineralia with exhibitions on minerals. Just behind the castle I then managed to take a bus which led me to the town of Nossen. Here instead of visiting the town immediately, I took another bus that brought me to the outskirts where I then visited the Altzella Abbey. Begun in the 12th century it expanded in the following centuries mostly in a Romanesque style with later Gothic additions. The complex enjoyed its heyday during the 15th century and even bought the nearby Nossen castle, which was in poor condition, and restructured it to serve as the abbot's residence. However, the abbey was then secularized in the 16th century and large parts of the buildings, which were in poor condition, were demolished and the materials reused elsewhere. During the 19th century, in the Romantic period, the remains of the former Altzella Abbey were turned into a landscape garden now filled with ruins of former buildings, a large park, and some surviving buildings as well. I started by visiting the Converts House, where the Lay brothers used to be, which featured a Romanesque refectory on the ground floor and the dormitory above. Because the building was used as a granary and cowshed from around 1700 to 1952, it is the only building structure to have been completely preserved. Next up was the mausoleum, built in a baroque form in the 17th century in the area of what was once the abbey church's choir. It contains the older tombs of the Wettin margraves of Meissen from 1190 to 1381. Then through the rest of the park, I saw the ruins of the buildings that were once built as the complex grew. Granaries, farmhouses, dormitories, a wine cellar, and other service buildings. After touring the complex I headed back out and through the surviving Romanesque portal of the western wall, that once encircled the whole Abbey. Then I headed towards Nossen on foot and finally had the chance to visit the town. It was quite small and featured a main street with at its end the town church, originally built in the 13th century but rebuilt after a fire in the 16th century and again in the 18th century. It features two Romanesque portals taken from the Altella Abbey but unfortunately, the church was closed so I couldn't visit the interior. At the town's highest point, situated on a rocky outcrop above the valley, was the castle. Now a Renaissance, it was once an older medieval castle and served the Saxon electors as a hunting lodge and residence for those passing through from and to nearby Dresden. In 1813, after French troops had occupied the city, Napoleon also spent a night in the castle before moving on to conquer Dresden. I visited the castle's main courtyard admiring the nice surrounding architecture and the view from up there. After that, it was time to move on. I reached the train station and from there ended up in Grimma, the last town of the day. This town still features part of the walls that once encircled it completely, especially on its eastern side facing the Mulde River. Once in the old town, I passed by the Frauenkirche, featuring two 46-meter-high Romanesque towers. Nest up along the street the Klosterkirche, a late gothic 15th-century hall church now deconsecrated. Next to it was the huge Gymnasium St. Augustine,  considered the only regular gymnasium offering boarding in Saxony. Founded in 1550 as one of the three Fürstenschulen in the state its current style is Neorenaissance rebuilt in the late 19th century. At the northern end of town, I then reached what was once the Grimma castle. Originally from the 13th century, it was then expanded in the following centuries with additional buildings built into or next to it, such as a keep, and granary. Today, the Grimma district court and the branch office of the Leipzig public prosecutor's office are located in the castle. Heading back through town I then reached the main square where the picturesque town hall with its striking Renaissance gable is set. Around the square's perimeter some other nice old buildings as well. Heading back to the train station I then went to Leipzig where I had to switch train to eventually get back home in Berlin. 

The Freiberg Dom

Interior of the cathedral

The Miner's Pulpit

The high choir with the Wettin funerary chapel

The Romanesque Golden Gate

Freiberg's old town

The main square

The Schloss Freudenstein

Nossen's old town

Altzella Abbey

The refectory

Abbey ruins

Schloss Nossen

The inner courtyard

The Frauenkirche in Grimma

The main square with the town hall

One of the old town houses