1 hour from Berlin to Brandenburg’s Nordic Interlaken: formed by glaciers around 20,000 years ago — with chains of hills, picturesque lakes and valleys, and a state-approved health resort.

Small underground clubs, digital art exhibitions, and new openings from fashion to cinema — those who live in Berlin find themselves in a vibrant hotspot for cultural events. It’s easy to get lost in this dynamic and lose your Zen mood. Nature offers the perfect balance to help you find peace again. We don’t even have to travel far: just an hour or less outside the city, there are charming towns in picturesque landscapes, ideal for a relaxing day trip — such as “Little Venice” and Brandenburg’s largest fruit-growing area. It gets even more idyllic in Märkische Schweiz, which rightly bears its name. Buckow is located in the middle of the region’s protected landscape and is also the central hub of Brandenburg’s smallest and oldest nature park.

Just as Interlaken lies between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, Buckow lies between two lakes: Lake Schermützel — the larger, livelier “main lake” with a promenade, boat rentals, and swimming areas — and Lake Buckow, which is smaller, quieter, and more natural. More forest, less activity, almost poetic and meditative. Although we don’t find any Alps here, the rolling hills of Märkische Schweiz give the landscape a surprisingly “Swiss” relief. For Brandenburg, this region is also unusually hilly and varied, with striking viewpoints such as Rummelsberg and clearly structured landscape chambers of forest, water, and hills. A popular hiking trail is the circular route around Lake Schermützel.

What makes Buckow special is its status as a state-approved Kneipp spa resort since 2005. This is reflected in Kneipp facilities such as water treading pools and barefoot paths, a focus on health, tranquility, and slowing down, as well as in the spa gardens and the range of gentle relaxation and therapy options on offer.

Photo: Shutterstock

Compared to Interlaken, which is international, heavily touristy, and well developed in terms of infrastructure, Buckow seems like its intimate counterpart. A small old town, few streets, cafés, small guesthouses, and lakeside hotels— everything is familiar, manageable, and cozy. There is no mass tourism here, but rather a weekend and nature crowd. The formation of the landscape is also fascinating: around 15,000–20,000 years ago, the entire region was shaped by glaciers. This is evidenced by chains of hills formed by terminal moraines, so-called dead ice holes — which are now visible as lakes — as well as winding valleys and steep banks that are unusual for Brandenburg.