In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From Potsdam via Beelitz, Bad Belzig and Wiesenburg into the Hoher Fläming, then on via Jüterbog and Baruth to Kloster Zinna: around 250 kilometres on tree-lined avenues and country roads, with nights at a thermal spa, a palace park, a nature campsite and a glassmakers’ village.
The spirit of the route
The Fläming is the quiet hinterland between Berlin and Wittenberg, an Ice Age ridge that rises so gently you only notice it from the views. Beyond Beelitz the traffic thins out, the roads run as tree-lined avenues through pine forest and rye fields, and the villages have fieldstone churches whose granite blocks were carried here from Scandinavia by the ice. In the Hoher Fläming, dry valleys – the Rummeln – cut through beech and oak forest, while Burg Eisenhardt and Burg Rabenstein keep watch from the hills. Through the sliding door comes the smell of warm resin and sand; in the evening fallow deer step out at the forest edge, and in spring great bustards perform their courtship displays over the Belziger Landschaftswiesen. Add to that the brick gates of Jüterbog, a Cistercian monastery and a glassmakers’ village in the glacial valley. This route asks for no mountain passes, but it does ask for attention: to sandy tracks, to wildlife at dusk and to the day’s forest fire danger level.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Potsdam to Beelitz (approx. 30 km)
- The drive
- Potsdam is just the starting point: head south out of the city on the B2 via Michendorf, then through pine forest to Beelitz-Heilstätten and on to the small town of Beelitz. Flat and well built, with plenty of commuter traffic towards the A10 near Michendorf. A good half-hour’s drive without stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- “Baum & Zeit” treetop walk in Beelitz-Heilstätten: the walkway leads through the treetops above the grounds of the former tuberculosis sanatorium and over the roof of the Alpenhaus, on which a forest has grown. The other ruins may only be entered on guided tours.
- Old town of Beelitz with the parish church of St. Marien und St. Nikolai and the asparagus museum, which tells the story of Beelitz asparagus.
- Asparagus farms around Beelitz: in season, from spring into early summer, the farms sell straight from the field; Beelitzer Spargel is a protected geographical indication.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: The motorhome stopover by the Beelitz old town is within walking distance of the centre and, according to the town, has electricity and water; check the number of pitches, fee and waste disposal in advance on the Stadt Beelitz website. An alternative is the motorhome stopover at Spargelhof Klaistow on the A10; check facilities there in advance. If you are already staying overnight in Potsdam, Campingpark Sanssouci on the Templiner See has full facilities.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): At the treetop walk and the sanatorium you park during the day, not overnight; the site is guarded, and the fences around the ruins mean what they say. Free overnight camping in the pine forest is not permitted in Brandenburg, and forest tracks are closed to motor vehicles.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Berlin low-emission zone inside the S-Bahn ring only affects you if you drive through the city on the way here: the green sticker is required there, including for foreign vehicles. Without a sticker, drive round the outside on the Berliner Ring (A10) to Potsdam; Potsdam and the rest of the route have no low-emission zone. In Beelitz, do not let the satnav route you to the stopover through the narrow old-town lanes; approach from the bypass instead.
2Stage 2: Beelitz to Bad Belzig (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- South on the B2 through pine plantations to Treuenbrietzen, then west on the B102 to Bad Belzig. Long straight sections, and from Treuenbrietzen tree-lined avenues with trees right at the edge of the road and little room to pull over. A good hour of pure driving time, half a day with a walk around Treuenbrietzen.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Treuenbrietzen: two medieval brick churches, St. Marien and St. Nikolai, remains of the town wall and memories of the ballad “Sabinchen war ein Frauenzimmer”, whose shoemaker’s journeyman comes from Treuenbrietzen.
- Burg Eisenhardt above the old town of Bad Belzig, with a castle museum and keep; the view from the tower extends over the Belziger Landschaftswiesen.
- SteinTherme Bad Belzig: thermal brine pools and a sauna area – after a day on dusty tracks, the most comfortable shower on the route.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: The motorhome stopover at the SteinTherme on the edge of Bad Belzig has twelve pitches according to Reiseland Brandenburg; electricity and fresh water are available from coin-operated machines, and disposal of waste water and toilet cassettes is included in the pitch price, as is the spa tax. The spa is a few steps away, and the old town with church and castle around one and a half to two kilometres. Check the current fee and payment method on site.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Belziger Landschaftswiesen are a protected area for the great bustard; the farm tracks there are closed, and access is only permitted on designated paths and at the observation towers. For the night, the stopover at the spa remains the legal and obvious choice.
- Insider tip for campers
- Around Treuenbrietzen, major forest fires have repeatedly destroyed pine plantations, for example in 2018 and 2022. The forest fire danger level is published daily for each district from March to October – here for Potsdam-Mittelmark. At high levels, do not head for forest car parks, never park the vehicle over dry grass, and keep access routes clear for fire engines.
3Stage 3: Bad Belzig to Wiesenburg/Mark (approx. 20 km)
- The drive
- West on narrow district and country roads into the Hoher Fläming, over the hills around Hagelberg and through beech and pine forest to Wiesenburg; a detour leads into the Brandtsheide south of the village. A short stage, but winding, with cobblestones through the villages. Under an hour’s driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Schloss Wiesenburg with its Renaissance tower and the extensive landscape park with ponds, old trees and sightlines – the park is freely accessible and almost empty in the evening.
- Kunstwanderweg Hoher Fläming between Wiesenburg and Bad Belzig, an art trail with sculptures and installations along the way; also good in sections on foot or by bike.
- Brandtsheide: large forest area south of Wiesenburg with hiking trails and forester’s lodge clearings.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: According to OpenStreetMap, the stopover by the palace park in Wiesenburg has around five pitches, also for longer vehicles, without electricity or waste disposal; overnight stays were most recently free of charge. More comfortable are the up to 20 pitches at the Familienhotel Brandtsheide in the village of Jeserig, with electricity, fresh water and waste disposal according to Reiseland Brandenburg; showers for a fee. Ask the hotel directly about prices.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The tracks in the Brandtsheide are forestry roads, closed to motor vehicles and often deep sand. Only park in the designated hiking car parks, and do not stay overnight there.
- Insider tip for campers
- Take care of water and waste disposal beforehand at the SteinTherme or the Hotel Brandtsheide – there is no service point at the palace park stopover. Wiesenburg has a railway station on the line to Bad Belzig: if you walk the whole art trail, take the train back and leave the camper where it is.
4Stage 4: Wiesenburg/Mark to Rädigke (Hoher Fläming) (approx. 20 km)
- The drive
- East through the heart of the Hoher Fläming Nature Park to Raben, the starting point for Burg Rabenstein and the Rummeln, then a few kilometres further to Rädigke. Narrow country roads with tree-lined avenues, crests and short climbs, with cobblestones in the villages. Around half an hour’s driving time; the rest of the day belongs to the hiking trails.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Burg Rabenstein on a spur of high ground above Raben, one of the castles of the Hoher Fläming; hiking trails lead up from the village and along the foot of the castle.
- Naturparkzentrum Hoher Fläming in the “Alte Brennerei” in Raben: exhibition on the landscape of the nature park, plus maps and hiking tips; the Grüne-Rummel-Wanderweg also starts here.
- Rummeln: narrow, steep dry valleys carved into the sand by meltwater at the end of the Ice Age, which only carry water briefly after heavy rain; hiking trails lead through them from Raben.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Naturcamping Hoher Fläming on the western edge of Rädigke (municipality of Rabenstein/Fläming), quietly situated in the forest, with a small shop and bread roll service, open from 15 April to 15 October. According to OpenStreetMap there are electric hook-ups; ask the campsite in advance whether there is a motorhome service point and how much space there is for large vehicles.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Much of the nature park is a landscape or nature conservation area. At the foot of the castle and at the nature park centre, parking is for daytime only; overnighting in hiking car parks and driving on forest tracks are not permitted.
- Insider tip for campers
- Satnavs like to send vehicles between the Fläming villages along sandy farm and forest tracks that look like roads on the map. Stay on paved district and country roads; a motorhome gets stuck in the sand of the Mark faster than you can turn around.
5Stage 5: Rädigke to Jüterbog (approx. 40 km)
- The drive
- Via Niemegk on the southern edge of the nature park, then south-east on country roads through farmland and pine plantations to Jüterbog. Many tree-lined avenues, long straights with deer-crossing signs; in Jüterbog, through the gates into the old town. Just under an hour’s driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Niemegk: small farming town with a Renaissance town hall and church; on the edge of town is the Adolf Schmidt geomagnetic observatory, which can be seen from outside.
- Jüterbog’s town gates: Zinnaer Tor, Dammtor and Neumarkttor with their outer gates and sections of the town wall – a walk along the ramparts links them.
- Nikolaikirche in Jüterbog with the so-called Tetzelkasten (Tetzel’s chest), plus the Mönchenkloster with a cultural centre and museum.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: By the Skate-Arena (Am Reitstadion, Luckenwalder Berg business park on the edge of town) there is a small stopover with three pitches, also for vehicles over eight metres, without electricity, water or waste disposal; the centre is within walking distance, and the night was most recently free of charge and limited to one night. A second option is the “An der Tränke” stopover by a small pond on the edge of the old town, with up to four pitches, also free and without hook-ups. So plan water and waste disposal beforehand.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Around Jüterbog there are former military training areas. The heathlands are in part still contaminated with munitions, access off approved paths is prohibited, and fires there are almost impossible to put out. Do not ignore “Munitionsgefahr” (danger: munitions) signs, and neither park nor stay overnight there.
- Insider tip for campers
- Jüterbog’s old town is cramped, and the gates are a tight squeeze for large vehicles. Park outside the ring of walls and walk in. Fuel and shopping are easier on the arterial roads out of town.
6Stage 6: Jüterbog to Glashütte (Baruth/Mark) (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- In the morning on the Flaeming-Skate, at midday on country roads east via Petkus to Baruth in the Baruther Urstromtal and a few kilometres further to the museum village of Glashütte. Pine forest, fields, and from Baruth lowlands with meadows. Just under an hour’s driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Flaeming-Skate: a network of around 230 kilometres of asphalt tracks, mostly two to three metres wide, for inline skates and bicycles, with no car traffic; circuit 1 links Luckenwalde, Kloster Zinna, Jüterbog and the villages to the south and east as far as Petkus over around 94 kilometres.
- Skate-Arena Jüterbog right next to the stopover, as a starting point and practice area.
- Museumsdorf Baruther Glashütte: 18th-century glassmakers’ village with a glass museum, demonstration workshop, glassworks and craftsmen’s houses in the forest.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In the museum village, Spruch’s Alter Landgasthof offers a motorhome stopover with around 20 pitches, also for large vehicles, a few steps from the museum and workshops. According to promobil there is electricity, fresh water and grey water disposal, but no cassette disposal, and overnight stays are conditional on eating or drinking at the inn. Ask the inn in advance about opening times and fees; there is another restaurant in the village with parking for motorhomes.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Baruther Urstromtal, with its bogs and meadows, is protected over large areas. The farm tracks there are closed to motor vehicles; at night, only a designated stopover will do.
- Insider tip for campers
- You may not drive onto the skate track with the motorhome; access points and car parks are in the towns and villages, for example at the Skate-Arena Jüterbog or in Luckenwalde. A helmet and pads are a must – the descents between the villages are faster than they look on the map.
7Stage 7: Glashütte (Baruth/Mark) to Kloster Zinna (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- West on country roads through forest and farmland to Luckenwalde, then south on the B101 to Kloster Zinna. A flat, well-built route with sections of tree-lined avenue; town traffic in Luckenwalde. Just under an hour’s driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Luckenwalde in brief: the market tower and St. John’s church (Johanniskirche), the old railway station converted into a library, and Erich Mendelsohn’s expressionist hat factory on the edge of town.
- Kloster Zinna: 12th-century Cistercian monastery with an early Gothic abbey church, the Old and New Abbey and a museum on the history of the monastery.
- The weavers’ colony that Frederick II had built in front of the monastery in the 18th century, with its uniform rows of houses around the square.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: To finish, return to the stopovers at the Skate-Arena or “An der Tränke” in Jüterbog, both only a few kilometres from Kloster Zinna but without water or waste disposal. If you are travelling on, the B101 north takes you to the Berliner Ring.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Around Kloster Zinna there is forest and former military land; the same rules apply as around Jüterbog: do not drive on forest tracks or heathland, and no nights in the forest.
- Insider tip for campers
- Plan water and waste disposal before the journey home; service points are far apart in this part of the Fläming. If you want to travel further: the Spreewald and Lusatia are covered in the CampingSpirit guide to the Spreewald and Lusatia, Dessau, Wörlitz and Wittenberg in the guide to the Middle Elbe, and the Ruppiner Land and Havelland have a guide of their own.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- In Germany there is no right to wild camping. A single night in a public car park to restore your fitness to drive is usually tolerated – where there is no prohibition sign, and without an awning, chairs or extended levelling jacks.
- Brandenburg’s forest law prohibits driving motor vehicles in the forest; forestry roads are closed even where there is no sign, and parking is only allowed in designated car parks. Smoking and open fires, including barbecues, are prohibited all year round in the forest and within 50 metres of the forest edge.
- Forest fire danger levels: from March to October, a level from 1 (very low danger) to 5 (very high danger) is published daily for each district, calculated by the Deutscher Wetterdienst. From level 4, the forestry authority can close forests and forest car parks; closures are signposted at the entrances. You can find the current level from the State of Brandenburg and the Deutscher Wetterdienst.
- Protected areas on this route: the Hoher Fläming Nature Park, the great bustard area of the Belziger Landschaftswiesen, the Baruther Urstromtal and the heathlands of the former military training areas near Jüterbog, some of which are still contaminated with munitions. In nature reserves you must stay on the paths.
- Planning aids: park4night and Campercontact for stopovers, the stopover pages of Reiseland Brandenburg and of the Fläming and Bad Belzig tourist associations, plus hosts with pitches at inns and farm shops.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Full water and waste services on this route are mainly found at the SteinTherme stopover in Bad Belzig and at the Hotel Brandtsheide near Wiesenburg; many small stopovers, such as in Wiesenburg or Jüterbog, have no disposal. Empty and fill your tanks at every opportunity.
- Only empty grey water and cassettes at service points – the sandy soil lets everything seep quickly into the groundwater, and the villages depend on well water and groundwater.
- Tap water is drinking water; at taps, look out for notices such as “Kein Trinkwasser” (not drinking water).
- Gas: exchange cylinders are available at petrol stations, DIY stores and gas dealers in Beelitz, Bad Belzig, Jüterbog and Luckenwalde; LPG for refillable tank cylinders is more likely in the larger towns and on the A9 and A10 motorways. Check locations in advance in an app.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t 100 km/h outside built-up areas, recommended speed 130 km/h on the motorway; over 3.5 to 7.5 t 80 km/h outside built-up areas, 100 km/h on the motorway; over 7.5 t 60 km/h outside built-up areas, 80 km/h on the motorway. Vehicles with trailers 80 km/h, or 100 km/h on the motorway with Tempo 100 approval.
- Tree-lined avenues and wildlife: reduced speed limits apply on many avenues, and the trees stand at the roadside without crash barriers. Collisions with wildlife are common in Brandenburg – roe deer, fallow deer and wild boar cross mainly at dusk and at night. If there is wildlife on the road, brake, dip your headlights and sound the horn, but do not swerve; after a collision, secure the scene and call the police (110), who will notify the hunting leaseholder.
- Low-emission zone: only Berlin inside the S-Bahn ring, with a green sticker, including for foreign vehicles. Potsdam and the towns on the route have no low-emission zone.
- Tolls: motorhomes pay no road tolls in Germany. Winter equipment depends on conditions: in icy, snowy or frosty conditions, winter or all-season tyres with the Alpine symbol are mandatory.
- Alcohol: 0.5 per mille, 0.0 for novice drivers in their probationary period and drivers under 21. Mobile phones only with a hands-free kit. If a rear carrier obscures the number plate or lights, a repeater plate and light bar are mandatory.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Inline skates with helmet and pads, or bicycles: the Flaeming-Skate is the best way to experience the landscape between Jüterbog and Luckenwalde without a car.
- Traction aids or traction mats: sandy approaches to meadow and forest pitches are common in the Fläming, and after dry spells the sand is especially loose.
- Fire extinguisher and fire blanket within reach: when the forest fire danger is high, every minute counts in pine plantations, and open fires are off-limits anyway.
- Binoculars for the great bustards from the observation towers at the Belziger Landschaftswiesen and for fallow deer at the forest edge.
- Swimwear and a bathrobe for the SteinTherme in Bad Belzig.
- Tick protection and long trousers: in the Rummeln and the undergrowth of the Brandtsheide, ticks are active from spring to autumn.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
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