Spring may be the best time to catch a view of the local plant celebrity, the Adonis Rose, but autumn was a pretty amazing time to visit the Oder River flood plains too! We really loved hiking in the Oderbruch during the October holiday, German Reunification Day.
The Oderbruch, located east of Berlin, is the wetlands on either side of the Oder River, which is the border between Germany and Poland. This region in Germany is located in the state of Brandenburg.
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Reitwein
The village declares itself the “Pearl of the Oderbruch” and it delivers! What I love about this small town is that a lot of effort and love is invested into holding on to the history of this place. We were lucky enough to have the Reitweiner Merkwürdigkeiten brochure in the holiday apartment we rented. If you can read German it would be worth getting from the Reitwein website in advance. Maps, old photos, and interviews with people who grew up there have been gathered into this booklet to give a picture of what life was like in Reitwein years ago, as well as show the heart that is still there now. We even went on the self-guided walk around the village to see all the sights listed.
Arrival and Accommodation
Getting there on a weekend or holiday is not challenging, but options are limited. A few busses depart from Frankfurt (Oder) or Küstrin-Kietz in the morning and another few in the afternoon. For the size of the village, there are a surprising number of accommodations (we stayed at Zum Weißen Hirsch). Though there used to be a general store in Reitwein, today you’ll have to head across the river to Poland or to nearby Lebus (which is biking, but not walking, distance).
Reitweiner Merkwürdigkeiten
Following the guide in the brochure, you can see and learn about all of the historical and interesting places in Reitwein. Some of which include the Stühler Kirche church, the Trafo (an old electrical tower turned mini museum), Zum Heiratsmarkt (“the wedding market” tavern), local organic herb garden, cemetery, old barn, the Soviet soldiers’ cemetery, the kindergarten, the Fischerhaus (where fish was smoked), and castle. Don’t get your hopes up for the castle, the ruins were removed after the war. Now a line of shrubbery demarcates the foundation. All that remains is a stone chair made for a wedding celebrated there in the early 20th century.
3 Hikes in the Oderbruch in 3 Days
The three hikes we did while visiting the Oderbruch were around the Reitweiner Sporn, a loop to the Oder River from Reitwein, and the finale was from Lebus to Frankfurt (Oder) on the banks of the river. The first hike was full of war history, while the second had more history of Reitwein. The third had spectacular landscapes of the Oder and its banks.
More great hikes in Berlin and Brandenburg!
Hiking in the Oderbruch: The Reitweiner Sporn
This hike was a 12 km figure-eight through the “Sporn,” a plateau which stands out on the plains next to the Oder River (Komoot tour). We began our hike near the church, following the first loop to the Shukov Bunker. This is where the Red Army positioned itself for the Battle of Seelow, the largest battle fought on German soil during the Second World War. For much of this section of the hike, you can see traces left on the landscape by the army’s presence.
Natural Wonders
The 400 year old oak tree we passed is a certified natural monument. From there, we hiked down an avenue with some more hundred-odd year old trees. Along the way, we saw various kinds of mushrooms, some bigger than my shoes, and fall wildflowers and foliage. At the end of the avenue, we hiked briefly through the nature protection zone Priesterschlucht, a gorge where you can see the Adonis Rose blooming in springtime, before reaching the edge of Podelzig.
Podelzig and Wuhden
In Podelzig, there is a ruin of a church, which we explored for a bit. Unfortunately we weren’t able to get to the top, which has a great view of the Reitweiner Sporn. Returning back to Reitwein from Podelzig, our trail took us to Wuhden, which sounds a bit like the phrase “where then?” in German, meaning I repeatedly made punny jokes which my partner, C, did not find as hilarious as I did.
Crane Migration
Here we began to hear the sound of hundreds of birds, but couldn’t see them anywhere. Soon we spotted them in a field more than a kilometer from us, but could tell that it was very clearly cranes. They began to fly over us in groups of a few dozen birds at a time. Cranes are fascinating to watch. They make an indescribable screeching noise. The shape of their bottoms always make me think that they could really shake their tail feathers if they wanted to. Unlike storks or herons, they are nearly always in groups, or at least in pairs. We sat on the side of the trail to have some tea and a snack and watch the birds as they flew over us.
Identify the most common types of birds in Germany – birdwatching for beginners!
Reitwein’s Stühler Kirche
Nearly back in Reitwein, we made a short detour to the Schöner Aussicht, literally “beautiful view.” At just 60m above sea level, the view is surprisingly vast over the fields below. Not long after, we arrived back at the church in Reitwein. WWII badly damaged it, so demolition was planned in the 1970s. Luckily, it was spared and has since had the church bells renovated which ring daily at 5 minutes to 6. The rest of the church awaits restauration.
More fun outdoor ideas in Brandenburg
Hiking in the Oderbruch: Loop to the River from Reitwein
Leaving Reitwein, we passed through some fields, over a small stream, and by a grazing buck (Komoot tour). When we reached the Oder, the landscapes were amazing. Even with the clouds, the light was fantastic. Unfortunately, at the time we visited, the Oder had just experienced a huge catastrophe causing all of the fish, and anything else living in the river, to die. We were not close enough to the water to see the effects, but the damage to this ecosystem will be long lasting and a long road to recovery.
A Flash of Red and Blue
Following the river on the levee, we stopped on a bridge over one of the canals to have a snack. C and I were saying that this looks like such a great place for a Kingfisher. Not two minutes later, C spotted one on a branch over the water. The tiny birds are more common than I thought, but difficult to spot when they are sitting still. If they fly from across the water, it is impossible to miss the brilliant flurry of blue and red.
Diplomats’ Stairs
Before leaving the levee, we walked by the Diplomaten Treppen, a set of stairs for diplomats. Reitwein doesn’t receive dignitaries every day, but in 1984 they constructed steps for a visit of 40 ambassadors to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the liberation.
A walk down memory lane – my first trip to Poland
Rain in Reitwein
On the walk back to Reitwein, we walked through the field we saw the previous day from the Schöner Aussicht. Despite the rainy forecast for the weekend, we only got wet on this section of trail when it downpoured for the last two kilometers of our hike. The sun came out when we arrived back in Reitwein, where we used the Merkwürdigkeiten brochure to lead us on a tour of town.
Hiking in the Oderbruch: Lebus to Frankfurt Oder
We took an early bus to Lebus so that we could have a relaxing hike to Frankfurt (where the train departs at least hourly). In Lebus, we passed a war memorial before climbing up the Turmberg, where the remains of a medieval castle are outlined with large, rusty steel raised garden beds or benches in the ground (Komoot tour).
Hiking into the center of town, we talked with a local who was out for his morning dog walk. He asked us if we were pilgrims on the Camino because the church in Lebus is one of the stops along the way.
After leaving the houses behind us, we were alone on the banks of the river until we reached Frankfurt, eight kilometers later. The views were incredible without end. Something about the golden fall sunlight and red and brown grasses just made this hike spectacular. It was so beautiful, I didn’t want it to end. I would definitely hike this route again, especially in the springtime to see the Adonis Rose, which is native only to this region.
In Frankfurt, we walked through an industrial area at first, then along the promenade and finally through the Lenné Park before reaching the station. Ok, we stopped for cake first 😉
Hike the Oderbruch!
We really enjoyed our quiet getaway to Reitwein in the Oderbruch. Hiking along the river was so beautiful and peaceful. We plan to explore more of this region between Germany and Poland soon and I recommend that you do too!
Download these hikes from Komoot
Follow Chris on Komoot! Here’s the hike for the Reitweiner Sporn. This is the loop from Reitwein to the Oder River. The best landscapes were on the hike from Lebus to Frankfurt Oder.