Since 1945, a unique rooftop forest has been growing on the World War II ruin known as the “Alpenhaus”; the “Baum & Zeit” treetop walk spans the ruin. Together with the combined heat and power plant, a landmark and the centrepiece of the historic complex, this blend of nature and architectural history shapes the character of Beelitz Heilstätten.

Woodland and the treetop walk

Three quarters of the old-growth woodland have been preserved in the parkland surrounding Beelitz Heilstätten. This should be distinguished from the rooftop forest on the Alpenhaus: it grows on the ruin, while the old-growth woodland is part of the surrounding parkland.

The treetop walk is more than 700 metres long and has five large viewing platforms in the tower. The top platform can be reached by lift. The total height of the walk up to the top edge of the viewing platform’s roof is 40.50 metres; the elevation of the terrain is 67.40 metres above sea level.

The history of technology and visits

The combined heat and power plant at Beelitz-Heilstätten is the landmark and centrepiece of the historic complex. Its water tower is 41 metres tall. The plant is also considered Germany’s oldest energy centre of its kind: it combines a district heating plant with a power station.

The height measurements for the treetop walk and the water tower can be compared, but refer to different structures and measurement points: 40.50 metres is the total height of the walk up to the top edge of the viewing platform’s roof; 41 metres is the height of the water tower. The similar figures therefore do not describe the same height.

During the founding and development phase from 1898 to 1902, a leading architect shaped the sanatorium. Visitors can take guided tours of the woodland park and the preserved buildings. Most of the complex is accessible only as part of guided tours and/or events; conditions vary depending on the facility. Therefore, factor the relevant tour or event into your plans when visiting a facility.

Cycling the Tour de Beelitz

The “Tour de Beelitz” cycle route starts and ends at Beelitz-Heilstätten railway station. It is about 22 kilometres long and follows a flat route. The surface alternates between woodland and sandy paths, with some paved sections. Flat terrain and varying surfaces are therefore two separate planning considerations. Check the route details locally before setting out.

The history of Beelitz, the wider travel destination

Beelitz’s town church, in the wider travel destination, was first mentioned in a document in 1247 and was initially a Romanesque pillar basilica built from hewn fieldstones. The legend of the miraculous blood is also part of the history of Beelitz, the wider travel destination: it made Beelitz the first pilgrimage site in the area east of the Elbe, and possibly in the German-speaking world as well. A chapel was built in Beelitz, the wider travel destination, around 1340.

In the wider travel destination of Beelitz, the roughly 800-year-old old town invites visitors to explore its historic buildings. In Beelitz, the wider travel destination, the Ernst Vogel watermill is located on the edge of Beelitz’s old town, on Mühlenstraße. The history of asparagus cultivation is also part of the townscape of Beelitz, the wider travel destination: in 1861, Beelitz farmer and citizen Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Herrmann was the first to grow asparagus on a commercial scale; other residents of Beelitz gradually followed his example.

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