Historic Town Center of Bernau

The center of Bernau is very well preserved and takes you on a journey into the past. A special highlight is the medieval city wall. The is about 1.3 kilometers long and at the highest point over eight meters high. A beautiful green area leads around the outside of the city wall.

Northeast of Berlin lies Bernau, one of the eleven main stations on the Margraviate of Brandenburg's Ice Age Road. Bernau was founded at the beginning of the 13th century. Fires in the 15th century destroyed all documents, so the exact circumstances of its founding remain unclear. According to legend, Margrave Albrecht the Bear, the founder of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, commissioned the construction of the town as early as 1140 after he got lost while hunting in the Panke Forests and ended up at an inn where he enjoyed the beer so much that he decided to found a town on this spot, which was then named "Bärnau" after its founder. However, there is no evidence for this legend, and the origin of the name Bernau is more likely to be the Slavic personal name "Barnim." However, the beer's good reputation has survived to this day, so the legend is still being told.In the 14th/15th centuries, the town was founded by the Germans. In the 18th century, beer was brewed in almost half of Bernau's residential buildings, and Elector Frederick I granted the city the privilege of selling its beer duty-free. During the construction of the savings bank in 1990/1991, the remains of a brewery cellar were discovered. These were incorporated into the new building. Today, Bernau boasts a beautiful historic town center with a well-preserved city wall. Of the three original city gates, only the Stone Gate remains. Next to it stands the Hunger Tower, the former prison. The Hunger Tower can also be climbed and offers a beautiful view of the city. The City Wall Trail leads along the city wall and past many of the remaining historic buildings. There is a hangman's house to visit and remains of the 42 Lughäuser (defensive towers) that were built into the city wall. At the Powder Tower, there is a crossing to the adjacent city park.Source: ausflugsziele-berlin.info/bernau-mit-historischer-altstadt

This is where the old building meets the prefabricated building that extends around and through the old town