Huge spending from the Brussels-based URBAN town development program has seen Luckenwalde transformed almost overnight from a small town lacking in perspective, into a model of development and modern architecture. This, therefore, makes now the ideal time to visit, with lots of investment having brought the facilities and attractions up to a high standard.
The town was previously known for its traditional industries of cotton printing, dyeing, brewing, and making bronze and metal goods. You can visit a number of old buildings which bear witness to this.
Although most are not functioning in their original capacities any longer, the buildings themselves are generally well-preserved.
The cloth and wool factories of Luckenwalde were once some of the most important and extensive in the whole of Germany, and you can pay a visit to an important building in this industry in the form of the Herrmann Hat Factory, which was built around 1921 by architect Erich Mendelsohn.
It quickly goes from the traditional to the surreal. At the other end of the scale, the newly-built public library is about as far removed from the word “traditional” as you can imagine. The main building is the former railway station, but it is the adjoining annex (which houses the children’s library) that really stands out; being gold in color, made of a copper-aluminum alloy, and built in a strange, almost indescribable, slanting structure, that makes the journey there worth it on its own.
Cycling is a good way to see the area, but if you fancy something different, why not get your skates on?! The Fläming Skate Track circles Luckenwalde, and leads through some beautiful scenery along its immaculate path, with villages, lakes, nature reserves and even beer gardens to be found along the way.
Don’t have too many beers though — or you might not find your way back! ;-)
