Velten is one of those towns that is close enough to Berlin (about a half hour from its city center), yet far enough away to seem like you’ve actually gone out of town.
Nowhere is this more felt in Velten than over at Bernsteinsee (Amber Lake). This is no ordinary recreational swimming lake. Oh, sure, you can splash around all you want and it’ll be a good time for the kids. But, at Bernsteinsee you can fish, sail, or water ski (that’s the coolest part), too.
Velten does have traditional sightseeing; like at the Ceramics Museum. It’s a two floor museum where you’ll see how the process has changed over four centuries. At one point during World War II, Velten was one of the largest production towns in all of Germany for the kind of stuff they needed that time.
Since a few of the factories used forced labor during the war, it’s proper that the town has a memorial to forced labor works at the local cemetery and another one for the town’s resistance fighters.
For more sightseeing information, the Velten Tourist Office (located at Breite Straße 16) is your best bet. FYI, it’s only open on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
But, just about any time there’s something on at the Ofenstadthalle (Kastersteig 3), Velten’s Culture Center; the town’s best spot to enjoy a cultural meeting, a show, or musical concert. This is where you’ll find all the locals coming to have a good time.
Velten is real tourist friendly, too. You’ll find a few hotels and guesthouses if you want to stay overnight and get to know the region better. And, you’ll find a few traditional style restaurants serving rustic German cuisine, including many seafood dishes since there a plenty of lakes within the Brandenburg region. Sounds like a good place to come if you love food.
Wash all that good cooking down with a glass of beer or wine and you’ve got yourself a dandy good time in Velten.
