I have the perfect town for you when you’ve got the itch to see some smashing buildings from the Middle Ages, to the Renaissance and beyond. So where is this place? Germany. State? Brandenburg. Town name? Calau!
Now while Calau’s buildings are a layer-cake of history, that’s not all there is to i. For outdoor fun there’s the Erlebnisbad Calau which has a swimming pool, a waterslide, a volleyball court, and chess area. There’s always a beach party going on, so here’s your chance to mingle with the folks that live here.
When getting your hair wet just won’t do, rent yourself a bicycle and venture out along many of the cycle paths that zigzag around. There is plenty of sculpture around town and biking is a great way to see it all. The nature park and the Spree Forest are also great places to bicycle or hike around, too.
With all that done, it’s time to see Calau’s beautiful historic buildings.
Like German castles? Then you’ll want to see the Schinkel-Schloss von Zinnitz from the 19th century.
A more modest, yet stately, house is the Das grosse Burglehnhaus. Now I know this place doesn’t look like it was built in 1316. That’s because this one wasn’t put here until 400 years later. If you get close enough though, you’ll see a cornerstone inscribed with the house’s original construction date.
Even Calau’s local history museum gets in on the historical action. Housed in a timber framed building from 1789, you can get a look at the inside of one of these fairytale houses.
Not quite as old, but definitely a piece of history, are the two Car Museums, Mobile Welt des Ostens and Technik-Museum Calau. Pretty cool places for the car enthusiast!
End your trip at either the 13th century Gothic Town Church, its totally rebuilt Town Hall, or the romantic windmill.
If you want to see the mill, make sure you remember to call ahead to arrange it. We all know how easy it is to forget when you’re sightseeing all over a town as fantastic as Calau. ;-)
