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Teltow’s cultural and social center is also its oldest. Dating back almost 1000 years, this town on the outskirts of both Potsdam and Berlin has one of the best preserved Old Towns in the area.

Andrew’s church, the geographical and historical center of Teltow, dates to the 12th century. Destroyed by fire several times in the intervening centuries, the church now displays the neoclassical and neo-Gothic style of architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel.

After the most recent fire, in 1910, the ceiling was redone, giving the church excellent acoustics. This makes it a popular venue for concerts.

Ruhlsdorf Church, on the fringes of the former village of Angers, is a 13th century structure made of stone carved from granite boulders. Three of the original narrow windows, set in the thick stone, can still be seen today. The church also has the vestiges of medieval paintings and three medieval consecration crosses. Its pulpit dates to 1594.

A war memorial in the Old town was erected in 1913 and honors the war dead from the time of the Napoleonic Wars through the end of the 19th century.

Looking for something different from the usual churches and monuments? Learn all you want to know about pigs at the Pig Museum sponsored by the Teaching and Research Institute for Animal Husbandry.

While in Teltow, be sure to sample its famous turnips. These are not your typical grocery store turnip and are revered for their flavor. They are so good they were once eulogised by Goethe.

On Sunday afternoons, be sure to visit the Heimatmuseum, housed in the oldest house in Teltow. The house dates to 1711 and is the only structure to survive a fire that destroyed the rest of the town.

Hiking and cycling trails abound and meander through forests and wetlands, passing fieldstone churches, old cemeteries, and historic buildings.

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Located in the center of a triangle formed by Brunswick, Celle, and Hanover in Lower Saxony, Uetze is a cyclist’s delight.

Riding on the well-maintained roads and paths you are likely to see storks, kingfishers, and otters as you ride through the forest along the Fuhse River. In the early spring and summer, breeding storks can be spotted in the town.

Uetze is a center for horse breeding with its farms providing breeding stock and animals for local horse racing facilities. While you can’t ride the horses at the farms, there are several local stables where you can rent horses or take classes in both English and Western riding.

Erse Park is a local amusement park with life-size representations of dinosaurs watching as you hurtle through space on roller coasters, carousels, and a 300 m bobsled run. Tired of riding? The park features educational exhibits portraying prehistoric life up to primitive humans. Bored with the lessons? Your admission fee lets you ride everything again, as often as you like.

In May and June, plan to visit local eateries to feast on Spargel, the local white asparagus that makes this part of Germany famous as the “Asparagus Street.” Come back in mid-September and celebrate Zwiebelfest, the local onion festival, with music, games, food, and entertainment.

The Eltz mill, a traditional water mill, has been preserved and can be seen from the river bank. In nearby Hänigsen, you can visit the last Bock windmill which has been restored to working order. On the first weekend in September, you can see it grind grain and taste the resulting bread. You can also enjoy arts and crafts, local foods, and performances by local artists.

Lake Irenensee offers camping, space for recreational vehicles, and water sports in the summer. Two large outdoor water parks in the Uetze area offer water slides, diving towers, and some camping.

Uetze is famous as the oldest documented oil deposit in northern Germany, with records dating back 450 years. Oil extraction is still a major industry in the area and an open air park allows you to look on as oil is drilled and processed.

Good food, active sports, and history combined make Uetze a popular destination.

A town built on the hills of the Bergisches Land region in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bergneustadt has become a popular vacation center for Germans and tourists alike. The Agger Dam provides recreational facilities in the summer, while nearby cross country ski trails are lit during the winter.

Consisting of eleven smaller villages, Bergneustadt is the second oldest city in the area, dating to the 11th century. A local history museum, housed in a half-timbered house in the Old Town area, highlights the living history of this town of 20,000 people.

One of the most famous attractions is the Bunte Kerken (the Colorful Churches) in the Wiedenest district, 2 km from the city center. Dating to the 11th century, the Church of the Holy Cross boasts colorful medieval frescoes on its ceiling. Covered over during the Reformation and for the following 300 years, the murals have been fully restored.

Legends tell that the Church of the Holy Cross was visited by a Crusader who brought with him a relic of the True Cross of Christ. A nearby “Holy Well” flows into a fountain which is believed to have healing properties.

The city is remarkable for its traditional half-timbered buildings in white, black, and green, that adorn the Old Town and Wiedenest areas. In the Old Town, don’t miss the Losemundbrunnen fountain where “Minch and Jettchen,” two washer women, take care of the town’s dirty laundry in public view.

Composed of twenty hills, ranging from 350-500 m high, this is a city built for walkers. With 170 km of marked hiking trails, and beautiful forests and views, Bergneustadt is a hiker’s paradise.

One popular walk is to the lookout tower in Zum Knollen. At 451 m elevation, the tower allows a panoramic view of the Cologne bay, Rhine Valley, Westerwald, and Ebbegebirge Nature Park.

Another popular attraction is the Bergneustadt-Auf dem Dümpel airfield where you can soar over the surrounding landscape in a glider or rent a small plane. On the first Sunday in November, the airfield holds a popular kite festival.

Tired after a busy and active day? Relax in one of the many fine restaurants or bars or take in a show at one of the many theaters. Music and theater are popular pastimes for the residents here, both as participants and spectators, and there are many opportunities to watch even the tiniest citizens perform and sing.

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