A trip with my dog to Bad Saarow

This February, I took a trip with my dog to Bad Saarow. It is great place for taking walks by the lake and taking a small time-out in nature. In this post, I will share information on one of the walks that I took in the Bad Saarow area along with a couple of tips on what else to do there.

If you are looking to spend a few days in the region, do check out my post on where to stay in Bad Saarow with a dog – I can recommend the hotel I stayed at if you get a room further away from the entrance.

EXPLORING THE EASTERN SIDE OF SCHARMÜTZELSEE

For this walk, I parked my car at the church “Dorfkirche Pieskow” on the eastern side of Scharmützelsee. You can park there for up to two hours free of charge between the hours of 8am to 8pm.

For me, this was plenty of time to explore the area. I even managed to check out two different areas, both of which I can recommend.

First, I walked up Dorfstraße and turned right onto Schwarzer Weg. I followed the street until I saw a soccer field on the left hand side.

Next to that, there was an entrance to the forest which I followed. It takes you into a wooded area that is really close to the coast of Scharmützelsee lake.

My dog was very happy sniffing around and exploring everything in the forest.

There were lots of fallen trees and other exciting things to keep her engaged.

As you walk through the woods, try to orient yourself towards the left whenever possible.

That way, you will eventually find a slightly hidden spot with lake access where you can take a moment to take in the view. My pup also took the opportunities to get her paws wet. Even though it was February!

After exploring that part of Scharmützelsee coast, we went back up to the church and continued in the other direction.

Directly behind the church you will find a small fairytale forest “Märchenwald” with some characters from popular fairytales or children’s TV shows.

As an adult, I did not find it too exciting, but if you have small children with you it could be worth a quick look. Plus, my pup enjoyed climbing onto the small train.

Behind the fairytale ground we turned right onto Trift street, which takes you down to a bathing spot.

Please note that according to signage, dogs are not allowed in the bathing area. However, as we came in February, we were the only ones there.

Sooo I decided to presume that the dog ban only applies during bathing season. This is usually the case in other places in Germany, but make your own judgment!

After the detour to the beach, we continued along Hermann Duncker Strasse and saw an interesting looking robot sculpture in front of “Klein Sansoucci” palace. Apparently this building was inspired by the bigger Sansoucci palace in Potsdam, but to be honest: Without the gardens I could not really see the resemblance.

After passing this palace we went down towards Uferweg which takes along the coast of Scharmützelsee. It is a nice walk. We made it roughly until Schloßpark Bad Saarow, but don’t be mislead by the name: There is no castle or palace there, it is simply a hotel. Bit of a bummer, but never mind! At that point, we turned back and made our way back to the car.

HOW LONG IT TAKES AND WHO IT’S FOR

It took us around 2 hours to see both parts of this walk at a very leisurely pace. If you are looking for a longer walk, you can definitely extend this walk and continue further along Uferweg.

This route is suitable for almost any pup and human. The terrain is mostly flat, and especially along Uferweg you could take along a pram without issue too.

THE BOTTOM LINE

This was a nice way to spend a few hours, but to be honest it was not the most exciting walk I’ve ever taken. Still, when I took this trip I was really in need of recharging, and Bad Saarow did just that. It’s definitely a nice place to take a walk and sit by the lake to enjoy the view. My dog enjoyed the forest part in particular, as well as the opportunity to get her paws wet in multiple places along the route.

Bonus tip: If you make your way to Bad Saarow center, consider taking the Schmeling trail. It starts near the harbour, but then quickly takes you into nature along some meadows as well as into the forest. It is denoted by a boxing glove in honor of 1930s boxing legend Max Schmeling. Budget around 1 hour for this 5km walk!