Bernau bei Berlin, Medieval town center in Brandenburg, Germany
Bernau bei Berlin is a town in Barnim District in Brandenburg, located roughly 10 km northeast of the Berlin city limits. Timber-framed houses line the old town within the preserved fortifications, while residential districts and industrial zones extend beyond the old walls.
Founded as a settlement in the 13th century, the place soon received town rights and grew into a trading and craft center. During World War II, the town suffered heavy damage from air raids and ground fighting, but many parts of the medieval fortification survived.
The name comes from a Slavic term for marshy ground, though the center now offers a dry square with cobbled streets and timber-framed houses. On market days, vendors from the surrounding area arrive to sell their goods against the backdrop of the old town wall, while visitors stroll through the narrow lanes between the historic buildings.
The S2 railway line connects the center directly to Berlin Central Station, with the journey taking roughly 30 minutes. On foot, the old town within the walls can be explored in under an hour, which allows for a relaxed walk.
Part of the town wall still shows traces of cannonballs from the Thirty Years' War, which remain lodged in the masonry stones. In the Henkerturm at the southern end of the fortification, the town executioners lived for centuries, and the tower now serves as a small museum.
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