Hundeauslaufgebiet Pichelswerder

An island became a peninsula, with one million cubic meters of earth

That Pichelswerder is accessible on foot today is due to a massive construction project. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the area was an island between Havel and Stößensee, accessible since 1882 via a pontoon bridge. Between 1903 and 1911, the Heerstraße was built, and over one million cubic meters of earth were pumped into the water for the crossing over the lake. Since then, Pichelswerder has been a peninsula and is protected as a landscape conservation area. This is an ideal area for a long walk: the hillside paths run along an artificial dam slope; a long staircase leads up, then down to the shore several times. Reed beds and wet meadows stand between forest paths. At the tip, at the Pichelsdorfer Gmünd lighthouse, a wide view over the Havel opens up. The circular route measures about six kilometers and takes a good two and a half hours. For dogs who enjoy walking along the water, the area is rewarding because the forest and shore constantly alternate, and the path repeatedly leads down to the Havel. Those who shy away from the long staircase can stay on the lower paths and miss the view from the dam.

Off-leash only south of Heerstraße

The most important rule is not at the parking lot, but in the description by the Berlin Forestry Department: Dogs are only allowed to run off-leash in Pichelswerder south of the Heerstraße. North of it, a leash requirement of no more than two meters applies in the forest, as is the case everywhere where no signs at the access paths state otherwise. With Pichelswerder, Hakenfelde, and the two Kladow areas, Spandau accounts for approximately 140 hectares of forest exercise area, and the district needs it: With 2.52 dogs per 100 inhabitants, Spandau leads the city, while Mitte has 1.50. The Forestry Department mentions bathing coves at Stößensee, but these are not designated dog swimming areas, and dogs are only allowed into the water at such marked spots. Right next door are the Tiefwerder Wiesen, over 66 hectares in size and a landscape conservation area since 1960. They were once Berlin’s largest pike spawning ground, but due to low Havel water levels, they are hardly flooded anymore today. Those who walk the entire circular path will have traversed two successive landscape conservation areas and will end up with shoes full of sand.