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Schwedt to Gatow (5.2 miles)

 

The town of Schwedt lies close to the Polish border and was largely developed after the war. The Altstadt took a battering during Soviet occupation but parts remain today. Schwedt is the largest settlement in the Uckermark district and has good bus and rail connections with other towns in the north east of the country.

Make your way down to the Uckermärkische Bühnen Theatre on the waterfront. This isn't actually the River Oder proper, rather a parallel canal which provides the navigation link. Our walk follows a cycle path which runs alongside the canal therefore it's pretty much impossible to go wrong.

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The Oder-Neiße Radweg is 335 miles long and starts in the Czech Republic before mostly following the German Polish border. Pick up the trail and head out of Schwedt with the water on your right. The route is well signposted and has a tarmac surface. A short dog-leg is required around a campsite and residential area before returning to the canal. From here on, we stick very close to the waterway.

We switch sides at a canal junction by passing over a bridge. Industry and nature exist together in this corner of Germany and we soon spot an enormous paperworks on the opposite bank. A bird hide with information about local species is encountered. The next bridge takes us into the village of Gatow where a bus connection back to Schwedt is available. The service is limited so please check times in advance. 

An excellent extension to the walk is to take the path into the trees just before the Gatow Bridge. This leads through the flood plain of the Oder and thee area is alive with insects and birds during the warmer months. After a mile and a half, we reach the river itself with Poland lying on the other side.

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