Brandenburg is the federal state that entirely surrounds the city-state of Berlin without containing it, stretching from the Baltic-facing Uckermark lake district in the north to the Lusatian mining lakes in the south. Its capital, Potsdam, is home to the UNESCO-listed Sanssouci Park and Palace, once the summer residence of Frederick the Great. Beyond Potsdam, Brandenburg is a patchwork of glacial lakes, pine forests, and slow rivers, including the UNESCO Spreewald Biosphere Reserve, where villages are still reached by flat-bottomed punting boats through a maze of canals.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
authentic_brandenburg
avoid
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Gurken Paule
A gherkin stand and shop on Lübben's Schlossinsel (castle island) run by the same family since the early 1990s, selling jarred Spreewaldgurken alongside horseradish, mustard, and other Spreewald specialties.
Where: Schlossinsel, Lübben, Brandenburg
Hours: Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00; weekend hours vary seasonally
Freddy's Gurkenfass
A gherkin and produce stall at Lübbenau's Großer Hafen (Great Harbor), the main departure point for Spreewald punting boats, selling barrel-style pickled gherkins, horseradish and chili gherkins, cold-pressed linseed oil, fruit wines, and daily fresh-smoked fish.
Where: Großer Hafen, Lübbenau, Brandenburg
Hours: Daily 9:00–18:00, April–October (reduced hours in winter)
Bauernhaus- und Gurkenmuseum Lehde (Gherkin Museum)
A small farmhouse museum in the canal village of Lehde dedicated entirely to the history of Spreewald gherkin cultivation and processing, with a shop at the exit selling gherkins, horseradish, and preserves made in the surrounding villages.
Where: Lehde (a canal village within Lübbenau), Brandenburg
Hours: Daily 10:00–18:00, March–November; closed December–February
SpreewaldRabe Werksverkauf "Zur Kräuterhexe"
The factory outlet shop of SpreewaldRabe, a Spreewald vegetable-processing producer, selling its own gherkins, horseradish, sauces, dips, and preserved vegetables directly at production-site prices.
Where: Lübbenau, Brandenburg
Hours: Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00, Sat 9:00–13:00
Werderaner Wachtelberg Vineyard
A south-facing hillside vineyard above Werder (Havel), one of the northernmost commercial wine slopes in Germany, with a small winery selling grape and fruit wines by the bottle and offering tastings on an outdoor terrace overlooking the Havel lakes.
Where: Wachtelberg hill, Werder (Havel), Brandenburg
Hours: Fri 14:00–sunset, Sat–Sun 10:00–sunset, Easter to mid-October; closed in winter
Stilbude Concept Store
A small independent concept store in Potsdam's Holländisches Viertel (Dutch Quarter) selling curated fashion, accessories, gifts, and interior-design pieces from a rotating selection of small and independent brands.
Where: Holländisches Viertel, Potsdam
Hours: Tue–Sat 11:00–18:00 (hours vary; confirm current hours before a special trip)
Wochenmarkt Bassinplatz
Potsdam's principal daily farmers market, set on the square in front of St. Peter and Paul Church at the edge of the Holländisches Viertel, with regional produce, cheese, meat, bread, honey, and flower stalls open six days a week.
Where: Bassinplatz, at the edge of the Holländisches Viertel, Potsdam
Hours: Mon–Fri 7:00–16:00, Sat 7:00–13:00 (Apr–Oct) / 7:00–12:00 (Nov–Mar); closed Sundays
Wochenmarkt Spremberger Straße
Cottbus's main weekly market, held every Thursday along the pedestrian Spremberger Straße between the medieval Spremberger Turm and the Altmarkt, a square documented as a trading place since 1720.
Where: Altmarkt, Cottbus
Hours: Thu 8:00–17:00 (smaller markets also run Wed and Fri on the Stadthalle forecourt)
Wochenmarkt Katharinenkirchplatz
A weekday market square beside the Gothic St. Katharinen church in the Neustadt district of Brandenburg an der Havel, with local merchants and farmers selling fresh produce, meat, fish, cheese, bread, and flowers.
Where: Neustadt district, Brandenburg an der Havel
Hours: Tue–Fri 8:00–17:00
Sorbische Kulturinformation LODKA
The Sorbian cultural information center for Lower Lusatia, housed in the Wendisches Haus in Cottbus, combining a visitor information point with a small shop selling genuine Sorbian/Wendish handicrafts, literature, and recordings.
Where: Wendisches Haus, Cottbus
Hours: Mon–Fri 10:00–16:30; closed weekends