Distance: 26.5km
Duration: 5.5h and 2h break
Weather: pleasant with 20/21C, sunny and light wind
The day started very differently to the previous ones where I was mostly fully emerged in nature right away. The path took me past the industrial area of Arneburg which was in fact very fascinating. My host had explained to me that there was a nuclear plant planned which was constructed beginning of the 80ies. With Tschernobyl in 1986, the construction was put on hold due to local protests and pressure and with the reunification of Germany in 1989, the finalisation was off the table. The building is still there and looks like a ghost factory with its broken windows but equally as a reminder of the past. The area was repurposed and there are two big factories that utilise the land for a big paper and cellulose factory. In total, there are around 900 employees and therefore, the factories are important employers for the area.
Once, I left the industrial area behind me, I stayed primarily on the cycling path. I still could feel the 29km from the previous day and I also suspect that walking on concrete all day wasn’t really appreciated by my feet or legs. So, once I came closer to Werben, I had quite heavy legs and was longing to finally reach my destination.
Werben is a pretty little town and is in fact the smallest Hanseatic German town with just under 1,300 people living there. The original structure within the city walls are quite intact. There are still three watch towers and one is open to public to climb up and enjoy the view onto the town but also the surrounding greens. From there, you can also see all the nests of the 14 stork couples that this town accommodates. It’s a great proof for their balanced eco-system as storks choose quite carefully that the area can provide them with enough food to bring up their young ones. The lady from the local tourist office also shared with me that the storks started gathering on the roofs of the highest buildings to test the thermal lift. Once, it’s strong enough, they’ll disappear over night. She said it in a nice way “then you know that you have to start collecting wood for the winter.”
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