Together in the Forest — Family Festival Fürstenwalde

From the Forestry Operation for the Citizens

The family festival “Together in the Forest” was launched in 2023 by the Fürstenwalde City Forest — as a bridge between municipal forestry and the families of the cathedral city. The City Forest is a municipal self-managed operation of the city of Fürstenwalde/Spree, which manages the city forests in the Oder-Spree district and is responsible for environmental education, local recreation, and forest pedagogy. The festival is intended to allow children and parents a whole day in the forest — without admission, without program stress, with hands-on stations instead of stage shows.

Program Stations — Climbing, Crafting, Archery

Children and adults can discover the forest at over a dozen stations:

• Climbing trees under expert guidance
• Archery for beginners
• Building nesting boxes from local wood
• Crafting marionettes and modeling figures from salt dough
• Animal observation with experts — insects, birds, small mammals
• Nature education games for the whole family
• Snacks and drinks from the City Forest and local providers

Location — Festival Meadow “Zur Pintschbrücke”

The festival meadow is located in the Fürstenwalde City Forest on the “Zur Pintschbrücke” fitness trail under mighty beeches, south of the city between Fürstenwalde and Bad Saarow. The Pintschbrücke itself is a popular excursion spot with a historic wooden bridge over a small stream. The Fürstenwalde City Forest covers around 1,500 hectares of mixed forest, mainly pine, beech, and oak, and is part of the eastern Brandenburg forest belt.

Fürstenwalde in the Oder-Spree District

Fürstenwalde/Spree is located in the Oder-Spree district, east of Berlin halfway to Frankfurt (Oder). With around 32,000 inhabitants, the “Cathedral City” is the largest city in the district. The festival “Together in the Forest” is representative of the more recent efforts by Brandenburg municipalities to re-establish the forest as a place of experience and encounter in the collective consciousness.