Brown long-eared bat that it was piled up by glaciers in the Wolstonian Stage some 150,000 years ago. In the north the Fläming plunges up to 60 Fine Crabs and Great Bustards meters into Baruth Glacial Valley. The power of this glacier is The High Fläming is arid. On its edges, however, there are attested by the many glacial erratics, such as that in Grubo. numerous springs. The river network is composed of a few riv- Glaciers pushed these boulders out of Scandinavia. Cold periods ers and rivulets and many steams and rills. The brown trout is and erosion left behind a further distinctive feature: the Rum- native to the cool, oxygen-rich headwaters. The »trout water« meln (valleys). These branched, narrow dry valleys only carry of the Fläming has been under protection since 1975. This is water after strong rains or during snow melts. In the mid- also home to the rare European brook lamprey. dle ages, when logging didn’t even stop at the edges of the Further zoological treasures are the few exemplars of crayfish, valleys, wind and water cut them up to 12 meters deep. The which died out in most European waters a hundred years ago (»Belzig Landscape Meadows«) lies in the Baruth Glacial Val- half of the 13th century. The building material came from the Neuendorfer Rummel, the Steep Kiete near Bad Belzig and the during the »crayfish plague«. Among others, grey wagtail and, ley, which borders the High Fläming to the north-east. It was glacial erratics and field stones transported by the glaciers; legendary Bride’s Rummel invite to hikes. on steep banks, the common kingfisher breed alongside the formed around 15,000 years ago by the meltwaters of the stones which for centuries had been gathered from the fields rivers and streams. The shy black stork goes foraging here. In Weichselian glaciation. Located there is one the most impor- during tilling. The mills in Fläming are also worth seeing. The Almost half of the nature park is forested. In many parts pine recent years several waters have been renatured so that visi- tant meadow breeding areas in Brandenburg. Of significance restored Borner Bockwindmühle (Born post windmill) stretches Land of Valleys and forests dominate. However, the beech and sessile oak stocks, tors can await an unchanged biotope diversity. are the landscape meadows, also as a resting place for wading its nine-meter-long sails in the wind atop the 156-meter-high for example in the Rabenstein Reserve, provide the park with The Fläming Beeches and Spring Nature Reserves are located birds and as a habitat for the Great Bustard, whose roosters Mühlenberg. Like the mill in Cammer it is designated a techno- Boulders remaining near-natural forests with trees in excess of 200 as beech islands in the huge forest area of Brandtsheide south can weigh up to 17 kilograms. When in the winter months logical monument. years. In these old mixed forests, with a high percentage of Time-honored castles, gentle hills, colorful meadows and of Wiesenburg. On new hike trails like the »Findlingswander- thousands of Nordic geese and ducks stop here on their mi- dead wood, the »heraldic bird« of the nature park, the Middle Ministry of Environment, Health and Consumer Protection of the Federal State of expansive forests: these are the characteristic elements of the weg« (Boulder Hike Trail) one can explore these natural gration one can expect an impressive picture. Spotted Woodpecker, feels perfectly at home. They can be Brandenburg High Fläming Nature Park, founded in December 1997. Over wonders of the nature park. The beeches that grow here are Editors: Brandenburg State Office of Environment, Health and Consumer Protection, seen in the Wiesenburger Park, among others. 90 % of the 827-square-kilometer area in the south-west of genetically distinct from all others. Foresters reach for the Office of Press and Public Relations 14476 Potsdam, OT Groß Glienicke, Seeburger Chaussee 2, Tel. (03 32 01) 4 22 - 0 the state of Brandenburg is designated as nature and land- well-adapted Fläming beech for new plantings; seeds are A Legendary Region and Hoher Fläming Nature Park scape reserves. The beauty of their homeland, as the Fläming especially gathered on the spot for this purpose. The lowlands Photos: Alscher, Brodersen, Klaeber, Krüger, Liebke, Naturparkarchiv, Naturwacht Redlich, Schlaak; Archiv Ebert, Tölle citizens often say, can be first seen upon a second look. The of the circa 41-square-meter »Belziger Landschaftswiesen« The Koboldstein, Engelsstein, Riesenstein ... the Fläming is a Map: Pro Line Concept, Berlin name Fläming is thanks to the Flemings who settled there, region rich in both boulders and legends. When the castles Design/Production: Power DesignThing GmbH summoned by the German princes, starting in the 12th century. of Eisenhardt, Wiesenburg, and Rabenstein were all simulta- Printing: Landesvermessung und Geobasisinformation Brandenburg As of: September 2013 The countys seat Belzig is the »gateway to the nature park.« neously built by giants Eisenhardt grew faster. Envious, the The Castle Eisenhardt gives the city a medieval atmosphere. two other »builders« threw rocks against it. Castle Raben- Berlin is around 80 kilometers away. About 70 locales lie in the stein, the best preserved mountain castle in the Brandenburg the nature park that, with around 30 inhabitants per square march, is built out of field stones taken from the immediate Hoher Fläming kilometer, is very sparsely populated. Thus the nature park is area. Under its protection the village of Raben arose in the a paradise for »quiet-seekers.« 14th century. Angerdörfer (villages built around a communal Nature Park The High Fläming is also called, half ironically, »the small- square), round villages, street villages, and forestry encamp- est low mountain range in Germany.« With the Hagelberg, ments are still recognizable to this day. The »typical Fläming« a »two-hundreder,« one of the highest rises in the state of is not only its legends and medieval castles, but also many Landesamt für am Riembach Umwelt, Naturpark Nationale Brandenburg, is located there. What is so phenomenal is late romantic field stone churches. They were built in the first Gesundheit und Verbraucher- Hoher Fläming Naturlandschaften schutz Grenze Naturpark Hoher Fläming Boecke Naturschutzgebiet (NSG) Wenzlow Tourist-Information Töpferwanderweg Tuchheim Bücknitz Naturpark-Zentrum Findlingswanderweg Wollin Oberjünne Lucksfleiß Paplitz Glienecke Naturwacht- Internationaler 107 Kunstwanderweg E 11 Rädel Stützpunkt NP Golzow Uckermärkische JugendherbergeKönigsberg Bergmolchwanderweg BR Flusslandschaft NP Seen NLP Elbe-Brandenburg Stechlin- BR Unteres Ziesar Steinberg Ruppiner Land Schorfheide- Odertal Campingplatz GrüneRummelWanderweg Chorin NP Close to the castle Eisenhardt – Nature Park Information Tourist Information Ziesar Panoramawanderweg NP Barnim 2 Groß Briesen Mühle Cammer Grebs West- NP Burg Ziesar On the way with Backpack, Köpernitz Müggenburg havelland near the Burgbräuhaus, where Burg Burgenwanderweg Märkische BERLIN Schweiz Nature park center High Mühlentor 15 A, 14793 Ziesar Ragösen Theerofen beer is being brewed and Klein Fläming Tel: (03 38 30) 1 27 35 Schopsdorf Aussichtsturm Naturpark-Reitroute Damelang Potsdam Wheelchair, Bike and Horse Briesen NP tapped again – one can find old Besucherinformationszentrum [email protected] NP NP Dahme- Heideseen Fahrradverleih Tour Brandenburg Hoher Nuthe- NP distance informations on the elec- Brennereiweg 45 www.burg-ziesar.de Fläming Nieplitz Schlaubetal Magdeburgerforth Gräben toral saxony post mile column. 14823 Rabenstein/Fläming, OT Raben The central point of contact for all visitors of the nature park is Öffentliches WC Internationaler BR Buckau E 11 Fernwanderweg Spreewald Tourist Information Brück e.V. FreienthalNLP = national park (Nationalpark) Tel: (03 38 48) 6 00 04; Fax: 6 03 60 Dippmanns- Großschutzgebiete NP Ernst-Thälmann-Str. 59, 14822 Brück the completely barrier-free Nature Park Center in Raben with P Wanderparkplätze Internationaler BR = biosphere reserve Niederlausitzer Mo – So 9.00 –17.00 Uhr dorf Fernradweg in (Biosphärenreservat) Brandenburg Landrücken Tel: (03 38 44) 6 20 NP = nature park (Naturpark) NP Inside the stone thermal [email protected]; www.flaeming.net its interactive exciting exhibition and the Garden of the Senses. Dörnitz NLP = Nationalpark Niederlausitzer [email protected] Dretzen Dahlen Egelinde 0 BR = Biosphärenreservat Heidelandschaft 5 km Large Nature Reserves in springs in Belzig the thermal High Fläming Nature Park www.fvv-brueck.de Verloren- N NP = Naturpark There one can also get more information about barrier-free offers Hohen-- wasser Brandenburg water wells up at 34 degrees. springee Administration in the nature park. On Sundays and on holidays the Nature Park Rottstock With its 20-percent salt content Brennereiweg 45 Approach Altengrabow 14823 Rabenstein/Fläming, OT Raben Weitzgrund Lütte Brück the 160-million-year-old brine Bus offers a direct connection from the station Bad Belzig. Hikers 102102 Fredersdorf Journey there with bus + train heals skin and muscle sicknesses. Tel: (03 38 48) 6 00 01; Fax: 6 00 02 can explore natural resources and cultural diversity on well sign- Werbig [email protected] From Berlin main station with the Wenddoche www.naturpark-hoher-flaeming. RE7 direction Bad Belzig/Dessau, posted paths: The 147 kilometers long Castle Hike Trail, awarded brandenburg.de from Dessau-Rosslau direction Berlin/ Wutzow P Trebitz Hohenlobbese Görzke Baitz Wünsdorf to the hike train stations as a »Quality Trail for Hikers in Germany«, leads in eight recom- Dangelsdorf Schwanebeck High Fläming Nature Watch Brück, Baitz, Bad Belzig, Wiesenbrug/ Gömnigk Baitz Base mended day trips (for information on bookings pleasse contact Benken Mark and Medewitz. Börnecke Steindorf 246 Im Winkel 13, 14822 Brück, OT Baitz Lübnitz 246 Goes without changing hourly between Tel:/Fax: (03 38 41) 4 37 34 the Tourist Information Fläming e. V.) through wide woods, idyllic Arensnest Brück and Bad Belzig as well as be- RE7 [email protected] villages and over gentle hills to the four Fläming-castles.