Erkner between the lake, hiking trails and history
Accommodation in Erkner
Discover Erkner on foot and through its local history: Dämeritzsee and several hiking routes shape its active side, while the museum courtyard and sites commemorating Hauptmann offer insights into the town’s history. You can explore nature and culture as distinct focuses of your trip.
Dämeritzsee and trails through Erkner
Dämeritzsee is the largest lake in Erkner; Erkner borders it to the east and south. The shore is directly accessible to pedestrians at several points, including via waterfront promenades and a recreation area. At the centre is the 10,800-square-metre Rathauspark. It begins directly behind Villa Bechstein, now Erkner’s town hall, and offers a view of the lake.
The 66 Lakes Hiking Trail and the Way of St. James pass through Erkner. There are also short and longer hiking routes, and some trails have been developed into themed educational and discovery trails. Wupatz’s educational trail circles Wupatzsee in Erkner. This gives you a choice of routes of varying lengths, themed trails and a route around the lake.
Local history and exhibitions
In autumn 1885, Gerhart Hauptmann moved to Erkner with his wife, Marie. They lived together on the ground floor of Nicolaus Lassen’s villa. The listed museum courtyard at Sonnenluch houses the Erkner Local History Museum and has a herb and fruit garden. A converted barn contains exhibitions on crafts and trades in Erkner, as well as on the beginnings of Bakelite—the world’s first fully synthetic plastic—and the development of the chemical industry in Erkner.
The Gerhart Hauptmann Museum has been housed in Villa Lassen since 1987. Following its planned reopening in 2029, the exhibition is intended to provide an overview of the Nobel laureate’s life and work. Visitors can also get another glimpse into Erkner’s history: groups can visit the railway-carriage hall with its historic museum vehicles on special occasions and by request.
Market and festivals
The annual local heritage festival lasts three days and takes place as an open-air event in early summer. The programme includes market stalls and attractions, as well as cultural events and concerts. The September Colonists’ Festival depicts the settlement of Palatine colonists around 1750. Visitors can see costumes from the local heritage association, stroll through a farmers’ market and watch craftspeople at work.
Every Thursday, the Erkner weekly market offers fresh, regional produce, including sausages and other meat products, poultry, game, fresh and smoked fish, fruit, vegetables, eggs, honey, plants and specialities. A bakery also offers fresh baked goods from a mobile wood-fired oven.
When choosing accommodation, the purpose of your trip may be decisive: perhaps hiking trails and access to the waterfront are your priority, or perhaps local history or a visit during the early-summer festival. Choose accommodation based on the places you would like to visit; if you are attending an event, check the specific dates.
More to discover in Oder-Spree
Other places in the wider Oder-Spree destination have their own distinctive attractions. In Bad Saarow, the approximately 1.5-kilometre-long Lesser Promenade runs along the lakeshore from Kurpark to Fontanepark. In Neuzelle, the five-hectare Baroque garden was restored according to original plans from the 1758 abbey atlas. Its Baroque avenues, water features and terraces offer a different historical focus from Erkner’s local history.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Tauche, FĂĽrstenwalde/Spree, EisenhĂĽttenstadt, Beeskow, Wulkow, Rietz-Neuendorf, Brieskow-Finkenheerd, Wendisch Rietz.
Back to the main travel overview: Oder-Spree.
