Historic town centres in Brandenburg - culture and history

The region surrounding Berlin, Germany's capital city, in north-east Germany, Brandenburg is simply awash with culture. Explore 31 historic centres in the most beautiful towns of the former Duchy of Prussia, all of which are surrounded by panoramic scenery and expanses of water. Walk through history on the old cobblestones past houses and churches, along historical walls and moats, and past magnificent castles and palaces. The region has a number of wildly contrasting towns, ranging stylistically from the Middle Ages through to the geometrical Prussian architecture.

Neuruppin, the birthplace of Theodor Fontane
Neuruppin, once the prime town of the Brandenburg Marches and then a garrison town under "Old Fritz" (Frederick the Great), is the birthplace of the famous author Theodor Fontane. After burning down completely in 1787, the town was rebuilt over a twentyyear period as a typical Prussian town based on the layout of a chessboard with characteristic houses and facades. It is considered a prime example of neo-classical town design. Attractions include the Altes Gymnasium school attended by Fontane, the abbey church with its twin towers and the Amalthea Garden with its Apollo Temple.

European Potsdam
The most famous attraction in Potsdam is Sanssouci Palace. But it's not only the former summer palace of Frederick the Great and Sanssouci Park with its numerous other attractions that are worth a visit. Historical districts such as the Russian colony of Alexandrowka, the Dutch quarter, the former Bohemian weavers' quarter and a number of high-profile residents from the world of politics and show business convey the flair of this very elegant city.

Perleberg - the pearl of Prignitz
Perleberg's old quarter differs from many others in Brandenburg. Rather than being based on the pattern of a chessboard, it forms an oval shape around the charming meandering river. The road into the historic town centre is lined with a number of proud  town houses leading all the way to Kirchplatz and Grosser Markt squares with all sorts of historical attractions: 16th and 17th century gabled houses, the 14th century Gothic St. James' Church and the 15th century town hall.

"A picture book for lovers" - Rheinsberg
The author Kurt Tucholsky presents an inspiring description of the baroque town in his book "Rheinsberg: A Picture Book for Lovers", a story about a romantic weekend that two city-dwellers spend in Rheinsberg. The town's main attractions include the baroque moated palace on the shores of the lake, which has a banqueting hall full of ceiling frescos, and the Tucholsky Literature Museum. The surrounding geometrically laid out streets and old town owe their design to the neo-classical town planner Baron von Knobelsdorff. Like many other towns in the region, Rheinsberg is on the German Avenues Route, which runs along grand boulevards with dense, green foliage between the various lakes.

A town turned fortress - Peitz
The entire town of Peitz, an enclave of Brandenburg within Bohemian Lusatia, was turned into a fortress. It was the most secure defence system in the region. The fortress fell after the Seven Years' War. The tower with walls that are six metres thick is still fully intact. Due to its history, Peitz has a remarkable townscape with the oldest town house dating from 1611 and a restaurant that is almost as old.

Outside the towns - a picture-book landscape
Just outside the towns, there are 15 nature reserves, biosphere reserves and national parks that make up around a third of the Brandenburg region. With thousands of lakes and ten thousand kilometres of rivers and streams, there are numerous waterbased leisure activities for visitors to enjoy. The waters in Brandenburg are ideal for tours by canoe, motorboat, houseboat, sailing boat or dragon boat, as well as for diving, swimming, angling, ultra-modern action sports such as wakeboarding and hydrobiking, and trips on one of the many passenger boats. The Spree Forest biosphere reserve, an unspoilt inland delta with an intricate, interwoven network of waterways with a combined length of several hundred kilometres, is a multicultural gem. The names of places, roads and waterways are shown in two different languages, as the Spree Forest and Lusatia are home to the Sorbs and Wends, Slavic people whose language and customs have been kept very much alive.

"Mord und Totschlag" - culinary specialities
The towns of Brandenburg are renowned for their hearty fare. You'll be bowled over by the "Kyritzer Mord und Totschlag" beer and will be surprised to learn that the Angermünde 'noodle' is a potato speciality rather than a pasta dish. Each town has its own speciality to offer: fruit wine from Werder, carp from Peitz, asparagus from Beelitz, potato fritters from Fläming and, of course, the famous Spree Forest pickled gherkins.