Discover Falkensee: History, Lakes and Cycling Tours

Cultural History and Art in Falkensee

Falkensee History Park commemorates the former subcamp of Sachsenhausen concentration camp and is a memorial to the victims of National Socialism. An open-air exhibition presents the history of the former Falkensee concentration camp subcamp. An audio walk developed by students from Humboldt University of Berlin in cooperation with the Museum and Gallery Falkensee explores the history of the camp, forced labour in Falkensee and the creation of the History Park. Remembrance and engagement with the town’s history are therefore among the defining cultural themes of the area.

The Museum and Gallery Falkensee also brings together different perspectives: its permanent exhibition covers the natural environment and wildlife of the Havelland region, archaeology and the history of Falkensee, as well as the life and work of poet Gertrud Kolmar (1894–1943). It also features a gallery of contemporary art, rooms for special exhibitions and displays from its own collection. The Gertrud Kolmar Rose Garden is part of the museum complex. Art enthusiasts will therefore find other avenues to explore alongside the historical and natural history topics.

The Falkenhagener Anger offers another perspective on the area’s history. This historically significant village green is protected as an architectural gem under a preservation statute. Together with the exhibitions and the History Park, it shows that Falkensee’s cultural character encompasses both the memory of the 20th century and the development of the town.

Lakes and Family Outings

Falkenhagener See and Neuer See are two places to visit in Falkensee. A circular walking trail around Neuer See lets you walk all the way around the lake in any weather. This is a practical option for an outing focused on getting some exercise and taking a walk by the water. There is also a playground by Falkenhagener See and Neuer See, with a sunken ship, a mud play area and a basket swing. This makes a visit especially appealing for families.

You can choose what to do at the lakes based on the interests of your fellow travellers: the trail is designed to take you around Neuer See, while the playground offers its own attractions for families. So when looking for a holiday apartment in Falkensee, it may help to first consider whether you want your holiday to focus more on cultural discoveries, outings by the water or cycling tours.

Cycling Routes with a Range of Themes

The approximately 8-kilometre Path of Friendship cycling route connects Falkensee with Brieselang and Berlin’s Spandau district. It passes through forest, green corridors, meadows, ditches and quiet residential areas. Along the way, it runs through the History Park, past the estate park of the former Seegefeld manor and, later, through the Bredower Forst nature reserve. The route features both varied landscapes and specific points of interest along the way.

The Berlin Wall Trail is another route with a historical connection. It crosses Falkensee near Falkenhagener See, passes through Bürgermeistergarten towards Spandau Forest, and crosses back into Berlin at Pestalozzistraße or Maikäferweg. The permanent exhibition “In Search of Traces: The Wall” in Bürgermeistergarten provides information about the Wall that separated Falkensee from Spandau. Those interested in the history of the division can explore this exhibition as a cultural highlight in its own right.

Several cycling tours start at Falkensee Regional Station. Allow a full day for the tour “Along the Paths of the Old Hamburg Post Road”. The tour “Small Waters, Wetland Habitats – Recreation on Your Doorstep” leads from the station through the centre to Kantstraße, where you can enjoy a view of Falkenhagener See and Neuer See. Another tour takes you to the nature trail in Bredower Forst, between Falkensee and Brieselang. In the area around Falkensee, the corn crake, also known as the king quail, occurs in Bredower Forst as a very rare meadow-breeding bird on the Red List.

The starting point for a cycling tour towards Döberitzer Heide is also at Falkensee Regional Station. The cycle route follows Potsdamer Straße, Schwartzkopffstraße, Coburger Straße, Döberitzer Straße, Nachtigallstraße and Gartenstraße towards Dallgow-Döberitz. The routes differ in their described paths and themes: from the connection between Falkensee, Brieselang and Spandau, to the Berlin Wall Trail, to tours towards Bredower Forst or Döberitzer Heide.

You can also include other places in your travel plans: Friesack, Nauen, Brieselang, Stechow-Ferchesar, Wassersuppe, Retzow, Rhinow and Nennhausen.

For the wider travel overview: Havelland.