At the heart of Brandenburg is the aptly named “Mittelmark” which means “Middle March”. Colonized by Germans only during the 12th and 13th centuries, the region remains less populated than the West or South of Germany. At its core is the young and dynamic city of Berlin and the old Royal/Imperial Court in Potsdam. Outside of Potsdam, for the most part, the region was reduced to rubble in WWII. Berlin offers its own hip charm, in stark contrast to the conservative and agricultural region around it.
The Mittelmark covers the region between the Havel and Oder Rivers and forms the core of Brandenburg. It is one of three regions that formed the Kurmark, or “Electoral March” referring to Brandenburg’s status as an elector for the Holy Roman Emperor. Brandenburg itself also held the territories of the Neumark, which now lie in Poland. In any case, nothing in the Neumark survived WWII, and virtually nothing east of Berlin survived as well.
What survives in the heart of Brandenburg can be grouped into two groups, the areas of interest around Berlin and everything else. The most interesting things to see outside of the immediate proximity to Berlin lie along the Havel River and include the town of Brandenburg, which lent its name to the region. The broader region has numerous small towns whose architecture is primarily from the 18th and 19th centuries.
