Hiking without mountains? Is that even fun? After hiking more than 1000 kilometers through Brandenburg’s forests and fields, I can answer with a resounding “yes” that it is a grand time! Like I mentioned, water is Brandenburg’s greatest natural asset, so it’s no wonder that the best trails in the land are in some way connected to its most attractive attribute. From quality-awarded trails to multi-day treks and single day excursions, you’ll find no shortage of hiking activities in Brandenburg. The ideas below cover award winning trails, long distance trails, day hikes, and helpful guide books to inspire you to plan your ultimate hiking excursion in Brandenburg.
Qualitätswanderwege
A what? A Qualitätswanderweg is a hiking trail that has been awarded a Quality Hike seal by the Deutsche Wanderverband for meeting varied criteria about the cultural and natural highlights, being well-marked, the type of pavement, and more. There are 6 Qualitätswanderwege in Brandenburg:
The Burgenweg in Höher Fläming
Who doesn’t love seeing castles while hiking? This 147 km loop can be completed in 8 sections and includes highlights such as Bad Belzig, Wiesenburg, and Burg Rabenstein.
The Märkischer Landweg
This trail is 217 km from Feldberg to Mescherin through the Uckermark is divided into 10 sections and is renowned for nature, nature, and more nature!
Märkische Schweiz Loop around Buckow
Quite easily one of my top 5 favorite hikes in Brandenburg, this loop around the Märkische Schweiz (the Mark Switzerland) is like having the Caribbean and Switzerland in in Germany. In summer, the Schermützelsee is a shade of blue you would only expect to see in the tropics. The Panoramaweg takes you up a steep ridge to overlook this gorgeous lake. The forest is healthy and diverse (and there is even an abundance of blackberries to pick in season!).
Oderlandweg
Just 3 days and 63 kilometers does not mean you should underestimate this hiking loop in the Oberbarnim region of Brandenburg. The first section from Falkenberg (Mark) to Bad Freienwalde (Oder) or Altranft is the toughest, with 490 m of total altitude. It’s known as the Turmwanderweg, or Tower Trail, because of the 4 towers the route encounters. The first leg is also the easiest to turn into a day trip as the start and end are connected by Bahn.
Schlaubetal
Noted in Wanderungen Durch Brandenburg as the most beautiful in all of Brandenburg, the Schlaubetal is a a highly praised hike in the Märkische Schweiz. My personal experience on the hike was not as relaxed as I would have liked because the public transportation to and from the trail can be a bit complicated. Nonetheless, this hike is very beautiful, although by no means a secret. If you’d like it to be a more peaceful experience, go during the week (not during holidays) or when its raining.
Bremsdorfer Mühle 
beautiful Schlaubetal 
Fliegenpilz in the Schlaubetal
Uckermärker Landrunde
Part of this trail from Templin to Angermünde overlaps with the Märkischer Landweg. Its 152 kilometers are divided into 8 day hikes taking you through two national natural treasures: the biosphere reserve Schorfheide-Chorin and the Nature Park Uckermärkische Lakes.
Long Distance Hiking in Brandenburg
Besides the 4 trails listed above, Brandenburg has several other long-distance trails for the avid wanderer or ambitious day tripper. Many sections are do-able between train stations (and the occasional bus stop) so don’t let be put off by the high mileage. There are plenty of routes for a Tagesausflug.
66-Lakes-Trail
The 66-Lakes-Trail is a 416 kilometer loop which circles the outside of Berlin and takes you to over 70 beautiful lakes. It is split up into 17 sections of 20-28 kilometers, some of which can be shortened. All routes are accessible via public transportation. I have written a small guide which briefly describes each leg of the trail and have chronicled my own experiences along the way – the start, the end, my favorite, my own village, my first overnight, and more!
E10 and E11
These two routes allow you to hike across Brandenburg. The E10 travels the state north to south (with east and west variations north of Berlin), while the E11 cuts across east to west. These two routes are marked by a blue bar on a white field, which you will come across on many hikes throughout the region.
Day Hiking in Brandenburg
There are literally hundreds of possibilities for a day hike in Brandenburg! Nearly all of the multi-day routes are accessible by public transit at the start and end of each section. Aside from the ones I’ve already mentioned, I have really enjoyed:
Internationale Kunstwanderweg
The International Art Hike from Wiesenburg to Bad Belzig is fantastic. I don’t understand why this route hasn’t been awarded a Qualitätswanderweg seal. Gorgeous forest and fun art! It’s quite far from Berlin, but both stations are easily accessible by a single hour on the train. Plus there are TWO castles!
Dannenwalde to Fürstenberg
This route is not the easiest for novice hikers to follow, but it is such a peaceful hike along sleepy bends of the Havel river.
Havel in Bredereiche between Dannenwalde and Fürstenberg 
Wiesenburg, Internationaler Kunstwanderweg
Erpetal
This fairy tale little stream is practically IN Berlin. Get maps for an easy 10 km hike for free in the sign up at the top of the page! The longer version of this hike goes from Friedrichshagen to Altlandsberg.
Briesetal
From S Birkenwerder to Wensickendorf Bhf is an amazing wetland wonderland. Part of the 66-Lakes-Trail, this route is totally not a secret, but one Brandenburg’s most beautiful. Wear old shoes and go early or on a week day.
Erpetal 
Briesetal
Literature
A little unfortunate, but the only hiking books I’ve come across for Berlin-Brandenburg have been in German. That said, I think that even with beginner level German, the books are still functional. Besides, directions is one of the first things you learn in German class! Here are some of my favorite books for hiking in Brandenburg:
66-Seen-Wanderweg by Manfred Reschke
This book is good to go on its own. The maps are fairly detailed and the descriptions are good. There is an additional map to purchase, but I never found that the map added any assistance when I was unsure about the way. The book and its maps are just as clear. I do not know if the map alone suffices, and it wasn’t always the exact same route as the book.
Wanderungen durch Brandenburg by Manfred Reschke
The man is a legend! This adds another 55 hikes to the 17 above. I love that both books have “Wanderwünschkategorien” so you can choose to go on an “autumn trail” or a “wildlife trail.” This book suggests having an additional map for the region as the ones included are fairly course. I have always used the book alone, but do run into confusion. At your own risk!
Auf Försters Wegen by Thorsten Wiehle
I have the Süden und Westen Berlins book of the 3 title collection and enjoy that these are shorter hikes. Wiehle works for Berlin’s Landesforstamt and has prepared a great selection of walks through the city’s green spaces. Perfect for Sundays when I want to sleep in and still go hiking or don’t want to spend so much time on the train. These hikes are not in Brandenburg, but I hope you don’t mind 😉