The Ruppiner Land region is an area of wide-open skies, green forests, lush meadows, yellow fields, crystal-clear lakes, winding streams and cobbled roads typical of the Brandenburg Marches. It is the ideal place to relax and unwind and has some fascinating discoveries in store. Thick layers of banded clay were deposited here towards the end of the Ice Age. Clays are sedimentary rocks composed mainly of clay minerals (weathered feldspar). Clay is typically a fine-grain loose rock of yellowish to grey colour, although red, violet, green and black variations are also found. When water is added to clay, it becomes malleable - the raw material for making ceramics (bricks, tiles, pottery), building materials and the filler used by the paper industry. The German Ceramics Route is a circular route. It runs for around 215 kilometres through the delightful Ruppiner Land area of northern Brandenburg. Gently rolling countryside alternates with extended ranges of hills, known as end moraines, and flat valleys (Ice Age meltwater channels). Glacial boulders, often colossal and several tonnes in weight, are still scattered around - reminders of the dramatic upheavals in nature during prehistoric times.
The German Ceramics Route starts at the Oven and Ceramics Museum in Velten. There are four options: cycle trail, bridle path, footpath or waterways. Whichever you choose, fascinating museums and plenty of other places of interest will bring the world of clay and ceramics to life. Workshops and galleries give visitors rich insights into the creative skills and craftsmanship of previous generations who have left their mark on ceramics history.
