Havelland

Land: Brandenburg

The Havelland is the area northwest of Potsdam which is bounded on the east, south and west by the river Havel and on the north by its tributary the Rhin. It has a varied landscape pattern: stretches of low-lying moorland including the Havelländisches Luch, expanses of sandy soil subject to flooding (e.g. above the town of Brandenburg), fields of inland dunes as in the Kremmener Forst, ground moraines such as the Nauener Platte and the Rhinower Ländchen and isolated hills formed by terminal moraines such as the Wietkiekenberg (126 m/413ft) near Ferch.

Particularly attractive is the middle course of the Havel, a 343km/213mi long river (navigable for a distance of 228km/142mi) which rises near Neustrelitz in the Mecklenburg lake district. In the central section of its course, between Potsdam and Plaue, the river widens into a series of long winding lakes, the best known of which are the Schwielowsee, Trebelsee, Beetzsee and Plauer See. The Havel lake district offers great variety of scenery within a relatively small area - flat low-lying country, river meadows, lakes, ground and terminal moraines. The beauties of this area are best seen from the water.

The Havel itself is a busy waterway, with numerous canals (with locks) short-circuiting its windings. The system of canals also links the Havel with the Elbe and the Mittelland Canal to the west and the Oder to the east.

The flanks of the Havel valley and the hilly moraine country, with their excellent climate, have long been covered with great expanses of fruit orchards. The center of the fruit-growing area is the island town of Werder, which attracts large numbers of visitors to its spring festival when the fruit-trees are in blossom.

In the flat country arable farming is predominant. In the depressions there is intensive growing of fodder crops to meet the needs of the large dairy farms. In the dune areas there are plantations of pines, on the terminal moraines mixed forest.

The most important towns on the Middle Havel are Potsdam, Werder and Brandenburg; on the lower Havel are Plaue, Premnitz, Rathenow and Havelberg. Most of them are considerable industrial towns and also have numerous tourist attractions. The Heimatmuseum in Rathenow illustrates the history of the town's optical industry.