Am Mellensee: Railway, Mill Technology and History

Railway through the Baruth Glacial Valley

The Zossen-Mellensee heritage railway has a visitor station in Mellensee. Its route follows the tracks of the former Royal Prussian Military Railway through the Baruth Glacial Valley in the Fläming region. Here, you can gain a direct insight into the history of a railway line while travelling through a named landscape. This makes the heritage railway a distinct theme to consider when planning your trip—especially if you are interested in railways and would also like to discover the Fläming landscape.

Museum and mill technology

In Kummersdorf-Gut, the Kummersdorf Experimental Site Historical and Technical Museum presents the development of the Army Research Center from 1875 to the present day in a permanent exhibition. It includes a museum and an open-air site. Guided tours of the former firing range are available by arrangement. So if you would like to include a guided tour in your plans, be sure to arrange it in advance.

A different kind of history of technology awaits you in Saalow: the Schubert barn windmill is unique of its kind worldwide. Its wind wheels are built into the mill building; the half-timbered structure and mill technology form a single unit. This design sets it apart from the idea of a windmill as machinery simply mounted on top of a building. Anyone interested in historic technology can discover two very different subjects in Am Mellensee: the former railway and the mill’s distinctive construction.

This distinction can help you decide on the focus of your holiday. The heritage railway travels through the Baruth Glacial Valley; in Kummersdorf, the focus is on the history of the Army Research Center and tours of the former firing range; in Saalow, the mill’s distinctive design takes centre stage. These themes can be explored independently rather than combined into a single excursion theme.

More ways to explore the Teltow-Fläming destination

The wider Teltow-Fläming destination also offers different options for planning your holiday. Its landscape includes gently rolling hills, broad valleys, protected areas, uplands and lowlands. Visitors can experience the local flora and fauna up close. The district also has almost 600 kilometres of tourist cycling routes. The district maintains and regularly cleans the Fläming-Skate; nevertheless, check route conditions before setting out.

Sport and culture go hand in hand in Jüterbog: the Skate Arena is right next to the Fläming-Skate and attracts elite athletes from across Europe. The museum in the Mönchenkloster covers regional archaeology, Reformation history and the city’s military history across three floors. This gives you a range of interests to consider when planning, without confusing these attractions with the sights in Am Mellensee.

Another cultural highlight in the Teltow-Fläming destination is the Baruther Glashütte settlement, a heritage site of European importance. It is home to a living glass museum with a working furnace, as well as traditional workshops that produce one-off pieces and small series. This brings together the history of glass, its production and the craft behind it. A visit here offers a different kind of discovery from the railway, the experimental site or the mill in Am Mellensee.

If you are looking for accommodation in Am Mellensee, you can use the local attractions as a starting point for your decision while also considering whether to include other destinations in Teltow-Fläming. For a trip focused on the history of technology, the heritage railway, museum and barn windmill each offer a different perspective. Regional highlights broaden the choice with landscapes, cycling routes, sport and other aspects of cultural history.

Discover more destinations: Trebbin, Luckenwalde, Ludwigsfelde, Rangsdorf, Dahme/Mark, Baruth/Mark, Großbeeren, Jüterbog.

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Teltow-Fläming.