A park with a past
Over 100 years ago, the still famous Beelitz sanatoriums with spacious forest parks were built just outside Berlin, not far from Potsdam. The Berlin State Insurance Institute created a model workers’ sanatorium here for the treatment of tuberculosis. Before even one building had been completed, the gardens had already been laid out.
In order to level the park terrain, it was sometimes necessary to heap up the old trees of the existing forest by up to two meters – which the Brandenburg pines stoically endured. Today, old trees can still be found in the grounds, which have developed their roots over two levels – due to the changed water and soil horizon.
Despite all the garden design three quarters of the old forest was preserved. Mostly deciduous trees and flowering shrubs, but also exotic conifers were newly planted, so that a beautiful woodland park landscape soon grew up.
Today there are around 65 different tree & shrub species in the area, which creates a magical play of colors, especially in spring and autumn.
Today’s tourist attraction “Baum&Zeit” owes a special botanical highlight to the darkest hour in the history of the Beelitz sanatoriums: the final battles of the Second World War in 1945.
Pine trees have settled on the ruins of the Alpenhaus and grew over the next 70 years a spectacular rooftop forest.
However, plants are making the historic buildings, whose substance has been endangered by vandalism, their own. Flora lovers will find a wealth of insights, views and vistas in this area steeped in history, both from the treetop path and on seasonal nature tours.
A visit is recommended at any time of the year, because on every repeat visit you can observe how historic park areas are resurrected in steps or greet the present day through new interpretations by the young gardeners of Baum&Zeit.
Go on a discovery tour!
How to find us
Navigation (scan QR code)
GPS data: 52.268243843992, 12.915247632696934
By car:
You can reach us via the A9 Berlin – Nuremberg motorway, exit 2 “Beelitz Heilstätten”, or the L88 minor road.
By train:
Take the RE 7 regional express train on the Berlin – Dessau line and get off at Beelitz Heilstätten station, then follow the signs for the “Baumkronenpfad” Beelitz Heilstätten. The entrance is about a five-minute walk away.