10 reasons to love Brandenburg

Brandenburg's state capital is also its biggest city. A succession of Prussian kings bestowed several magnificent palaces and gardens on the historical residence and garrison town. Potsdam is also known as a hub of cinema and science because of the renowned Babelsberg film studios and the many institutes for research and higher learning located there.

This is Potsdam's most famous palace. Prussian king Frederick II had it built from 1745 to 1747 to his design in rococo style. Sanssouci is French for "without a care," and that's what the king hoped his summer and leisure-time retreats there would be. The Sanssouci palaces and gardens are UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites.

Brandenburg hosts other UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites, as well. The 670-hectare Grumsin beech forest is one of four listed as "Ancient Beech Forests of Germany." Grumsin lies within the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve north of Berlin.

In the Spreewald Biosphere Reserve, the Spree River branches out into hundreds of waterways. A total of some 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of canals can be explored by paddle boat or punt. The traditional Spreewald punt is still a principle means of transportation for many local residents. There was a time when, for some, it was the only one.

Fieldstone churches are built from boulders left behind by ice-age glaciers. They were collected from nearby fields and used hewed or rough. Many fieldstone churches can be found in Brandenburg's towns and villages, such as this one in Herzberg northwest of Berlin. The majority were built in the 13th century.

There are two Frankfurts in Germany — the large metropolis in the west and the smaller one on the Oder River on the Polish border in the east. On the opposite bank lies Frankfurt's Polish neighbor Slubice (pictured). Frankfurt (Oder) carries the additional title "Kleiststadt." The poet and author Heinrich von Kleist was born here in 1777.

Passing through Frankfurt (Oder) is the Oder-Neisse bike trail. It starts at the source of the Neisse in the Czech Republic and follows the German-Polish border some 630 kilometers (390 miles) to Ahlbeck, on the Baltic Sea island of Usedom.

The Niederfinow boat lift opened in 1934. It's the oldest boat lift still operating in Germany. The massive elevator overcomes a 36-meter (118 foot) altitude difference on the Oder-Havel Canal. Over a quarter million visitors come to see the boat lift every year. It's now listed as an industrial monument.

The Chorin Abbey is one of the finest examples of early brick Gothic architecture in Brandenburg. Every year since 1964, classical concerts are held in the church's nave. Many listeners bring picnic baskets and blankets and listen to the music which is clearly audible outside the abbey on the grass.

Canoeing is just one of the activities on Brandenburg's more than 3,000 lakes. Indeed, there are so many lakes that even in summer, with a bit of luck, you might find yourself all alone in nature. The Schwielowsee, seen here, is one of the biggest lakes along the Havel River.