The hiking trail Wurzelberg - experience the wilderness area Jüterbog

In the sunniest autumn weather, walk around Brandenburg's largest shifting dune. The start and end point is the hiking car park on the B101 right next to the Wildbahn. It goes on old cobblestones and sand/forest paths through former military territory (stay on the paths!). Everything is dead silent except for the wind and the cranes. Climbing the dune is a MUST. When the weather is nice, you can enjoy a picnic up here or hold wonderful egg-rolling competitions at Easter. There are currently 600 sheep grazing below the dune, guarded by several very impressive dogs. If necessary, they will even take on a wolf.

First of all: The route presented here does not correspond to my original route. If you follow the tour here, you will hike one of two fascinating hiking trails in the forest north of Jüterbog. An ancient shifting dune and relics from the time as a military training area await you next to an interesting, huge relief in the middle of the heather sand. Some of my discoveries are far from it. If I haven't just gotten lost, I've always followed old streets and paths. Most of them are still provided with old markings. However, these are officially not accessible. Since I would still like to take you on a journey into the past, here are a few photos of the ruins left by decades of military use. Quite a few of them are even marked on the map directly at the hikers' parking lot, from which the tour starts (and I started too) - you just have to take a closer look. A trip to this desert-like area is always worthwhile. Even if you “only” follow the path to the shifting dune and back and if necessary don't stumble across countless bunkers and observation towers like me. ;) By the way, I stayed at the Hubertusbrunnen in the north of the area. This is where the second official hiking trail joins. Part 2 of the tour is coming soon.

The sandy tour begins just before Luckenwalde. Even on the straight path, it's clear that no expense has been spared on the sand. A vast steppe landscape – dry and barren, yet impressive. It must look truly stunning here in August, as the heath spreads across the ground. The former military training area is a nature reserve and may only be entered via the marked hiking trail. The highlight, of course, is the enormous dune – covered in the finest sand. Standing on the high dune, you feel like a little kid in a sandbox.

Despite the weekend largely lonely round accompanied by sun, wind, dramatic skies and (little) rain, a tour through varied terrain on the former military training area near Luckenwalde (today: Jüterbog wilderness area). One of the highlights of the round is the largest shifting dune in Brandenburg, which probably doesn't include too much ;-). In addition to the Wurzelberg hiking trail used here, there are other routes in the northern section of the area (a total of 30 km). The website of the Brandenburg Natural Landscapes Foundation provides information on this (https://www.stiftung-nlb.de/de/wildnisgebiete/wildnisgebiet-jueterbog). You can park your car right at the start and finish point. Luckenwalde station is not far either. The tour in summer is only recommended for people who are not sensitive to heat. The mostly shadowless paths suggest that you do the round in spring or autumn or on summer days with little sunshine. Warning: lots of wind, wear a little warmer.

A feeling of desert and Baltic Sea alike overtook me today on my little hike in the south of Berlin in the NSG Forst Zinna-Jüterbog-Keilberg. It was incredibly stormy today, but I still reached my goal, the largest shifting dune in Brandenburg. The dune then had to be admired and climbed. Whether on top of the dunes or from the viewing platform, you have a wonderful panorama. Some sand turbulence could also be observed today due to the storm, but the rare animals living there (wolf, otter, common toad...) have hidden today. The dunes are probably inexorably moving north, so in a few centuries Berlin will not be by the sea, but at least on a fine sandy beach or below.

A guided tour by the Wilderness Foundation of the former military site. Photo 17 is the wolf track. Unfortunately no wolves were seen again.

A special feature can be found on the former Jüterbog military training area, which is designated as a foundation area and a nature reserve. The approximately 900-meter-long inland dune has chosen a permanent location here. The finest, light-colored sand gleams from afar, almost conjuring the illusion of being on the Baltic Sea. Here, nature is given its space, reminding people to stay on the paths and thus preserving the habitat of the diverse animal and plant species that have settled or re-established around and on the dune. Sheep and goats take care of the landscape. A beautiful walk just outside Berlin. 👍