Visit: 4th of sept.2024,Serrahn

 

I took the train from Berlin-Suedbahnhof at 07.36am via Berlin-Hauptbahnhof(central station)  and Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to the city of Neustrelitz, where I arrived at around 09.00am. I walked from the train station to the city center and looked around the pleasant city for a bit. About 1.5 hours later I took the  bus 619 from the Neustrelitz bus station, which is right in front of the train station. I got off the 619 bus at the  stop  "Zinnow World Heritage Site”. Everything is excellently signposted from there...I didn't need my downloaded offline map.

I decided to take the main trail("naturlehrpfad") from Zinnow to Carpin. It was a sunny day with quite high temperatures.I had bought two bottles of water in the city of Neustrelitz which turned out to be a good decision as the only cafe inside the forest was closed to the public that day. As soon as I entered the forest the temperatures were more bearable as you immerse yourself in a shady world of trees,The path was pleasant, flat, easy to walk and very well maintained....no cars or bicycles allowed on the nature trail....bicycles are allowed on other trails through the beech forest, but no cars. 

I hiked to the park information center in the hamlet of Serrahn, where there is a cafe (only open Friday to Sunday), an old building with nature photos on display, the unmanned information center itself with toilets, stuffed animals and information boards about the beech forest and its inhabitants as well as some wooden benches behind the information center, where tired hikers can rest. On the way from the bus stop to the information center there was a place with public hammocks....the silence and the rustling forest are magical there. I wanted to walk from Serrahn directly to Carpin to the bus stop, but since I still had a lot of energy and the beech forest was enchanting, I decided to hike a few short side trails. Then I took the  bus 619 from Carpin back to Neustrelitz and from there the train to Berlin.
A few years ago I had visited the "Grumsin" beech forest near Germany's capital Berlin as part of a bike trip. It didn't impress me as much as the very accessible "Serrahn" beech forest. I plan to visit the Serrahn forest again in the fall. Absolutely enjoyable Unesco World Heritage Site.

In the hamlet of Carpin there is a country inn(open from about 17.00pm till ???)  where a tired hiker can have a very decent meal and a cold beer.