This year, Germany introduced the 49€ Deutschland ticket, allowing ticket holders to travel freely throughout Germany on local and regional trains without needing to buy an additional ticket. As an international teacher living in Berlin, I'm making the most of it this summer!
This week, we traveled to Angermünde, Germany with our bicycles in tow. This lovely, quaint German town is only an hour north of Berlin, but in the state of Brandenburg. We took a single regional train straight there and absolutely loved the entire journey!
About Angermünde
Historically, Angermünde was an enamel working town. This industry was in high demand during the Soviet era, but now, not so much. The population is decreasing and those who remain in the town rely heavily on tourism.
Recommendations to do in Angermünde
I can't give you the top ten things to do in Angermünde (Schade!) because, honestly, we didn't do ten things. But I'm okay with that. There's no need to do ten things all in one day! Especially in a slow and quiet town. We mostly strolled through Old Town (Altstadt), rode our bikes around and got rained on - but it was peaceful, lovely and I want to do it again!
While tooling around on our bicycles, here's what we enjoyed the most:
Straight after arriving, we stopped quickly for pizza and rode over to Mündesee which is on the north side of Old Town and only minutes from the train station. I hadn't prepared much before heading to Angermünde so didn't really know what to expect, but it surely wasn't this! The view, nature, quietness, birds and friendly people around - all of it took me by surprise. Every way we turned, we were presented with a picturesque view of the world. Angermünde is the perfect place to forget the world, work and worries and just be in awe with the present.
The south-west half of Mündesee is bordered with a paved bike path which takes you through a series of rock sculptures (Mündesee-Promenade mit Stein-Skulpturen). On one side, you can see the gorgeous scenery of the lake, and the other side are picturesque homes with the types of gardens you'd expect to see in Germany.
Keep following the bike path past the stone sculptures and you'll ride through a wheat field sprinkled with poppies. The endless greenery, bright skies and loving poppies could have had me sitting there all day, absolutely happy.
Right after taking that photo and feeling absolute bliss - it was a pinch me moment - thunder rumbled in from the south. We rode back much faster than we rode out there, got completely drenched and finally took shelter in a random carport.
When the rain slowed to a drizzle, we rode through the sleepy old town once more before taking on the 30 minute journey out to Wolletzsee. Again, I was surprised by the unexpected - the unpaved road through farms, fields and forest. The bicycle route through the forest made the trip worth it!
We arrived at Strandbad Wolletzsee in the early afternoon and spent the better part of the afternoon lounging in the sun, walking the boardwalk and dreaming of living in Angermünde.
And then it rained again, this time with hail - even though it was the last week of June.
The few other visitors ran off to their cars while we took shelter in the sun cabin and waited out the rain, thunder and hail.
When the weather finally let up, we trudged back to our soaked bicycles with chuckles from the Strandbad employees and headed back to town. We rode the same gorgeous path back, stopping to examine mushrooms, moss and the smell of nature.
Luckily, the train back to Berlin passes Angermünde Bahnhof every hour, making this an even more convenient day trip. So after having a coffee to warm my bones from the hail, we hopped back on the train with our bikes.
What I'll be Returning to Angermünde for:
The one afternoon was enough only to leave me intrigued and wanting to return.
Learn about the local history and enamel working past.
I hadn't brought my swimsuit thinking it'd be at least as chilly as Berlin in June.
Wolletzsee deserves a jump in!
To keep practicing my German! Unlike Berlin, most people did not speak English, which is exactly what I need.
A stay at one of the charming guesthouses to make it a full experience.
Visiting Angermünde was a much needed break from the busy city life of Berlin. While riding my bicycle home from the train station, the busyness and urban reality of my everyday life was suddenly much clearer. I came back not only with a sweetly renewed appreciation for country life, but also a loving perspective of the amazing city that we live in.
Happy teaching and traveling!
💛 Sativa
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