Once upon a time the Erpetal was a river. Officially known as the Neuenhagener Mühlenfließ. Today it invites us to discover its quiet beauty.
The Erpetal lies to the east of Mahlsdorf. This is part of Marzahn-Hellersdorf. It is a post-glacial drainage channel. It was created during the last Ice Age around 20000 years ago.
The eleven-kilometer Erpe Hiking Trail runs through the Erpetal. It is a tiny part of the European E11 trail. The trail follows the river Erpe. It meanders through forests, meadows and small villages. It stretches from Friedrichshagen to the Hoppegarten racecourse.
The valley serves as a natural backwater area for floods. It has been under nature protection since 1949. In 1995 it became a conservation site. Wild boars, sheep, and horses live here. You can also find mallards, grey herons, warblers and kingfishers.
Our walk could start at the S Bahn Friedrichshagen. It is heritage-listed and dates back to 1842. We would pass through the Kurpark next to the station. It is a remnant of an attempt to develop Friedrichshagen into a health resort. It once had a natural theatre and a bubbling spring.
Past the Freiluft Kino we would find a forested area. The Freiluft Kino replaced a 1930 open-air theatre. This area leads to a spacious meadow and the river. Following the Erpe we would reach the village of Waldesruh. Here stands the Heidemühle. This mill building dates back to 1891. It was built on the site of a mill first documented in 1434.
Up to six mills once operated here. There is a 3.5 kilometer circular trail. It covers twelve nature and history stations.
The Erpe originates from the Barnimer Hochfläche north of Neuenhagen. The street Am Erpetal got its name around 1920-1924. It refers to one of the few Fließtäler still present in Berlin. The Erpe flows through this narrow meadow. It flows into the Alte Spree at the Köpenicker Baumgarteninsel. For a time the street was also called Erpethal.
The upper third of the Erpe is known as Langes Elsenfließ. The lower two-thirds were known as Neuenhagener Mühlenfließ for about half a century. The river’s course is natural. However pollution from a purification plant affects it. The landscape was shaped by the last ice age.
The spring stream Stienitzfließ comes from Werneuchen. At the Amtsfreiheit farm the Altlandsberger Mühlenfließ and the Wederfließ join the Erpe. In Hoppegarten the Zochegraben opens out to the south of the racecourse.
To the east of Waldesruh the Erpe reaches Berlin-Friedrichshagen and Köpenick. In Friedrichshagen the valley is called Erpetal. Shortly before its confluence the Erpe divides into the Neue Erpe and Alte Erpe. The Neue Erpe flows into the Spree next to the Salvador-Allende Bridge. The Alte Erpe flows into an arm of the Spree further west.
The open meadow landscape of the Erpe Valley is a protected landscape area since 1957. A part of the Neuenhagen Mühlenfließ is a nature reserve since 2003. The European long-distance hiking trail E11 runs through the Erpe Valley.
So, let us take a moment to appreciate this green space. The Erpetal is a reminder of Berlin’s natural beauty. It is a place where history and nature intertwine. It offers a peaceful escape from the city.