{"id":20488,"date":"2022-03-01T11:40:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T09:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fromplacetoplace.travel\/?p=20488"},"modified":"2022-02-18T11:09:10","modified_gmt":"2022-02-18T09:09:10","slug":"bad-belzig","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fromplacetoplace.travel\/germany\/brandenburg\/potsdam-mittelmark\/bad-belzig\/","title":{"rendered":"Day trip to Bad Belzig"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It takes just one hour by regional train from Berlin’s main station to reach the small picturesque town of Bad Belzig in Brandenburg. Ideal for a day trip to the Berlin countryside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The history of Belzig begins in 997, which is when it was first mentioned in a document. If you then look at the following years, you read about changing rulers and destroyed city areas. Sometimes through plundering, sometimes through acts of war, the inhabitants always had to rebuild the town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Relief<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The town’s history is particularly proud of the visit of Martin Luther in 1530, who preached in Belzig’s Marienkirche. The town is less proud of the National Socialist era, when Belzig was home to a forced labour camp for 1,500 men and women from Eastern Europe and a concentration camp branch of the Ravenbr\u00fcck camp was established in 1943.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the Second World War, Belzig was a district town in the GDR district of Potsdam from 1952. The town was home to the “Central School of the Society for Sport and Technology Etkar Andr\u00e9”, where the GDR government trained employees of the Ministry for State Security for activities abroad in the West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Wappen<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Belzig has been part of the Potsdam-Mittelmark district since 1993 and was recognised as a state climatic health resort in 1995. In 2002 a thermal brine bath opened and since 2009 Belzig has been recognised as a state spa. Belzig has been allowed to be called Bad Belzig since 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stroll through Bad Belzig<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From the station, it is easy to walk to the village. It goes through small streets that were very quiet and empty, especially on a Sunday before 10 am. Even from a distance we could see the tower of Eisenhardt Castle, which we also wanted to visit a little later. First we passed the town hall of the town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sonntag<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bad Belzig town hall<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the 16th century, the town hall was built as an administrative building; it burned down in 1636 and was rebuilt in 1671. The curved gable in Renaissance style, which was added in 1912, is particularly beautiful. This was reconstructed after a fire in 1972.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rathaus<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are some interesting information boards here, which gave us good hints for a short tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marienkirche – Brandenburg Organ Museum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The town church of St. Mary stands to the north-east of the market square. It is not known exactly when the church was built. However, it is assumed that parts of the church already existed in the first half of the 13th century. Parts of the church burnt down several times and were rebuilt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Marienkirche<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today you can see a single-nave church in Bad Belzig made of regularly hewn fieldstones. A church tower stands on the western extension. At the foot of the tower there is a portal whose arch was re-framed in the 19th century. The keystone commemorates 14.1.1530, the day Martin Luther preached a sermon here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was very surprised when I entered the church. Here you step into a large, almost empty room. There is an altar on one side, a baptismal font – yes, and organs. This church houses the Brandenburg Organ Museum. There are 7 organs, a clavichord and a harmonium from 3 centuries spread throughout the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n