7.3. - 18.5.2026
Spring is a pleasant time for extended periods of outdoor amateur radio operation.
Firstly, it's usually already comfortably warm, and secondly, there aren't as many mosquitoes yet.
The destinations were various DLFF areas in the German states of Berlin and Brandenburg.
I announced each activation at least 12 hours in advance on the WWFF agenda.
The screenshots of the maps with the subsequently added location are from the BfN.
I created the screenshots of the routes using the "OsmAnd" app.
This report is updated after each activation.
Click here for the latest report.
Bergen-Weißacker Moor DLFF-1273
7.3.2026: It was the first weekend with spring-like weather, even though it wasn't officially spring yet according to the calendar.
After a night of ground frost, the temperature should rise 18 °C.
Since the forecast predicted clear skies and hardly any wind, I couldn't stay home.
The destination was the Bergen-Weißacker Moor DLFF-1273, which had apparently not yet been activated.
This 116 hectare large nature reserve and Natura 2000 site lies within the Nature Park Niederlausitzer Landrücken (DLFF-0092).
According to the nature park, it is "one of the few remaining moors in the region.
It consists of water bodies from formerly used peat cuttings, marshy pools, floating fens, and birch-pine swamp forest. ...
However, the Bergen-Weißacker Moor was not spared the effects of groundwater depletion caused by lignite mining.
By recirculating the pumped water, the moor body was prevented from drying out, but the extremely acidic and iron-rich water harmed many sensitive plant species."
The moor is also the source of the Bersten, a 37 km long tributary of the Spree River, which forms the northwestern boundary of the area.
I chose Walddrehna train station as the starting point for my bike tour.
It's worth noting that it's only served by the RE8 regional express train, which runs every 2 hours.
From the station, I cycled along the main road through the village and then continued to Weißack on the very quiet L561 country road.
Caution: Shortly before the paper mill, the road drops 35 meters, so you'll arrive at the bottom of the S-bend with considerable momentum.
After crossing the B96 federal highway, I cycled through the village of Weißack.
At the edge of the village, the main road bends.
From there, I followed almost straight forest tracks to the edge of the nature reserve.
Although I didn't see any signs, the area was easily identifiable by the varying tree species.
On the narrow path northwards within the nature reserve, I spotted an open area with a distinct orange soil.
This is likely one of those acidic, iron-rich areas created by the pumping of water back into the moor.
When I finally arrived at a large meadow, I turned west and pushed the bicycle along a footpath beside the dry ditch to the northern shore of the moor pond.
There, I set up the station among several birch trees.
I tied the mast to one birch and the guy wires to two others.
I settled the station comfortably on a dry spot just 20 cm above the pond.
A couple of hikers passed by, the man with a large camera, and told me that there were also coypus at the pond.
Conditions weren't particularly good after the G1 storm overnight.
However, sitting comfortably in the sun for 3 hours, I made a total of 41 contacts on 40, 30, and 20 meters – actually 43.
"Actually" because I won't acknowledge 2 QSOs.
The reason is the practice of one radio amateur, who want to be sure of getting their contacts logged and therefore make a second QSO as a precaution.
I strongly disapprove of this approach, as it's selfish and often comes at the expense of quieter stations.
Before activation, I announced my policy on the WWFF website regarding duplicate QSOs:
"Stations with duplicate QSOs (same band, same mode) will not be comfirmed at all."
Despite this warning, I discovered at home that a station had slipped into my paper log twice.
As a consequence, neither QSO from that station is included in the log extract I sent to the DLFF.
Furthermore, I will not be sending QSL cards for either QSO.
I will announce and enforce this policy against duplicate QSOs before every activation this season, even if it means that one or another contact are not credited to me.
Between 2 CQ calls, I noticed movement on the trunk of a birch tree standing right by the water.
What I saw upon approaching was astonishing.
A moth with a body about 2½ cm long defended itself against the attack of a wood ant.
After separating them, I placed the moth on a tree free of ants.
There, hanging in the sun, it inflated its wings to their full size over the next 30 minutes.
After that, it was easily identifiable as a male Kentish glory by the strong coloring of his wings.
While the male moths, according to Wikipedia, also fly during the day, the females are only active at night and have paler wings.
Since neither can feed, they live only a short time to reproduce.
The caterpillars of the Kentish glory feed mainly on birch leaves, of which there were plenty in the area.
They pupate in a cocoon spun either on the ground or in the vegetation.
This is probably why I saw the moth so low on the tree, because Kentish glory usually "meet" in the upper branches of birch trees.
For the return journey, I had originally planned to take a path along the edge of the nature reserve, thus making a wide loop back to Weißack.
However, the overgrown path would only have been passable on foot.
Therefore, I returned via the familiar route.
Unfortunately, heavy forestry machinery had badly damaged the branch line that begins at the paper mill and ultimately leads to the train station, forcing me to continue my journey on the main road I had already traveled on the way there.
Thus, after a total of 20,5 km, I arrived back at Walddrehna train station.
Equipment: Elecraft KX3 with 5 W transmit power in CW;
19 m doublet antenna with 8 m long two-wire link (Twisted-Hille) as an inverted-V on a 6-m-Mast
Lönnewitz Heath DLFF-1004
22.3.2026: After a relatively cool night with -2 °C, temperatures of up to 14 °C and mostly sunny weather were forecast.
However, from a radio perspective, the sun didn't really cooperate.
Following the G3 storm the day before, the SWPC predicted another G3 storm, which had a 25 % probability of causing radio blackouts (R1-R2).
And the Kp index published by the GFZ was already at Kp = 5 in the morning and rose to Kp = 6 during activation, which corresponded to the predicted G3 storm.
So, conditions were by no means going to be ideal.
Nevertheless, I set off.
Between the Falkenberg-Lönnewitz airfield, which is now only used by sports aircraft, and the B183 federal highway lies the long, 161-hectare Lönnewitz Heath DLFF-1004.
The airfield was already used as a civilian airfield in the 1920s, before being taken over by the military from the mid-1930s until 1993.
After the dismantling, an industrial park was built.
A flying club took over the remains of the runway and a few hangars.
The other hangars scattered across the site are partly empty and derelict.
Since 2011, the Lönnewitz solar park has also been located on the site, which according to Wikipedia has an installed capacity of 21,7 MWp and feeds 21,9 GWh into the grid per year.
The heathland landscape of the nature reserve south of the airfield, which exists today, arose because the area was a restricted zone for decades.
The dismantling process contributed the rest.
I began my bicycle tour at Falkenberg (Elster) train station.
Leaving the town to the south, I reached the airfield via a nearly straight, narrow road.
On both sides of the airfield road, which turns west there, the solar panels of the aforementioned solar park cover an area of 86 hectares.
To be as far away as possible from their potentially disruptive inverters, I chose a wide road that runs parallel to the old/long runway of the airfield, which nowadays only exists as a clearing.
I attached the mast to my bicycle and settled down on a sandy patch by the roadside.
Some contest was raging on 40 meters, so after a few QSOs I switched to 30 meters.
However, I didn't reach too many stations.
It was a similar story on the 20-meter band I used afterwards.
However, on 20 meters I noticed that no contest stations were active anymore.
Therefore, I switched to 40 meters – it was quiet there too.
Apparently, the contest only ran until 1200 UTC.
In total, I made 23 contacts on 40, 30, and 20 meters, which, in retrospect, was an acceptable result considering the predicted conditions.
The signal strengths varied considerably.
While I could only receive some stations in Europe at 519, others were receivable at 599.
I couldn't discern any pattern.
At one station on the East Coast of the USA, the harsh, crackling sound typical of aurora conditions was noticeable.
After 3 hours, I packed up the station and headed back.
In the southeast of the nature reserve, north of the B183 federal highway, lay the now almost completely vanished former village of Old-Lönnewitz.
In the wooded area along the B183, within the former military restricted zone, the ruins of the village church, now a listed historical monument, can still be found.
According to Wikipedia, the pitiful remains of the church are thus virtually the last remaining structural traces of the village, which was first mentioned in 1251.
Following a forest track that curved around the eastern side of the airfield and continuing on the Lönnewitzer Weg, I reached Schmerkendorf.
From there, I continued on the L672 state road to Falkenberg (Elster), where I reached the train station again after a total of 16,8 km.
When I got home, the propagation conditions of N0NBH closely resembled the conditions found on the bands.
Equipment: Elecraft KX3 with 5 W transmit power in CW;
19 m doublet antenna with 8 m long two-wire link (Twisted-Hille) as an inverted-V on a 6-m-Mast
Wild Mountain near Seelow DLFF-1315
29.3.2026:
After a relatively cool night with temperatures around 0 °C, the temperature was expected to rise to 10 °C.
The weather forecast predicted cloudy or partly cloudy skies, but only a 20% chance of rain.
Weather-wise, the conditions would be acceptable.
Furthermore, according to the SWPC, there was no forecast of a geomagnetic storm, although there was a 40% chance of minor radio blackouts (R1-R2).
And the Kp index published by the GFZ was low that morning, around 3.
So I grabbed my backpack, packed up my radio equipment, and set off.
This time I went to the western edge of the Oderbruch region.
There lies the 82-hectare nature reserve Wild mountain near Seelow DLFF-1315.
The area extends predominantly east of the RB60 railway line, which runs from Frankfurt (Oder), via Seelow (Mark), to Eberswalde.
The nature reserve encompasses the slope from the approximately 50-meter-high upper edge of the ground moraine plateau (Lebus Plateau) down to the Oderbruch at about 10 meters, but also includes a deep cutting west of the railway line.
I began my hike at the bus station Seelow (Mark).
Heading south on Frankfurt Street, I turned east at the former Oderbruch railway crossing.
A path runs parallel to the curve of the old railway embankment, which I left at the bridge over the deeply cut former railway line, continuing eastward.
A little further on, the path leads through a tunnel under the still-active railway line.
On the other side is the Wild Hare Trail, a steep 20-meter staircase.
There's a bench halfway up, presumably for a rest.
At the end of the trail, a path leads to the summit of the 47-meter-high Wild Mountain.
On the mountain, which is only covered with a few scattered trees, there is a bench near the summit stone and a nearby summit cross, which I used to set up the station.
I attached the mast to the backrest at the end of the long section.
Sitting comfortably in the sun, which was increasingly breaking through the clouds, I began making CQ calls on 40 meters.
When there was a longer lull after a while, I switched first to 30 meters and later to 20 meters.
Within 2⅓ hours, I made a total of 51 radio contacts across Europe and one to the East Coast of the USA.
Even during the QSOs, I had spotted several large, dark beetles on the sandy ground and among the grasses.
During a band change, I took a closer look at what they were doing.
For me, that's just as much a part of an outdoor activity as exploring the surroundings.
While a larger specimen (about 45 mm long) busily scurried back and forth, the more compact ones (about 35 mm long) seemed preoccupied with building burrows in the sand – or so I thought.
Back home, I identified them from the photos as Black oil beetles.
The larger insect with the bent antennae was a male, the smaller ones with straight antennae were females.
What I had interpreted as burrow building was actually the laying of eggs in cavities used by bumblebees and honeybees.
And there were already quite a few honeybees to be seen on the flowers at the summit.
According to Wikipedia, black oil beetles are on the Red List of endangered species in Germany.
These diurnal insects are usually found on the ground from April to June.
But be careful! When threatened, the beetles secrete a yellow substance from their knee joints, strongly resembling oil droplets, to deter enemies.
This substance contains cantharidin, a toxin that is also dangerous to humans.
For the return way, I used the path leading downhill along the top edge next to the railway line, which took me to the small road at the bottom of the slope.
I initially continued north on this road, but then turned onto Küstrin Street, which leads uphill.
Passing the train station Seelow (Mark) and the Seelow Heights memorial, I headed towards the town center.
After a stop at the café at the market square, I reached the bus station again after a total of 5,6 km.
Equipment: Elecraft K1 with 5 W transmit power in CW;
19 m doublet antenna with 8 m long two-wire link (Twisted-Hille) as an inverted-V on a 6-m-Mast
Löpten Fen-Wustrick meadows DLFF-1321
5.4.2026: After a mild night with temperatures around 7 °C, a high of 18 °C was forecast despite increasingly heavy cloud cover.
The probability of rain was expected to rise from 10 % in the morning to 60 % in the late afternoon.
The G3/G2 storm of the past few days had subsided to a negligible level.
However, according to the SWPC, there was a 55 % probability of small/short radio blackouts (R1-R2).
The GFZ, however, reported a Kp index of around 3 in the morning, indicating a low level.
N0NBH rated the band conditions as "Fair" to "Poor".
Nevertheless, I set off!
The 218-hectare nature reserve Löpten Fen–Wustrick meadows DLFF-1321 consists of two areas connected by a drainage ditch.
The Löpten Fen lies to the southeast, and the Wustrick meadows to the northwest.
Both are drying bogs or wet meadows crisscrossed by ditches.
The Löpten Fen, at least, was still a lake in the 18th century, situated in a meltwater channel from the last Ice Age that extends as far as Fürstenwalde/Spree.
The ditches, still present today, bear witness to attempts to drain the bogs that formed after the lakes silted up.
Although a renaturation project has been underway since 2013 to stabilize the water level in the bog and mitigate fluctuations, the area's condition is still described as inadequate.
According to Wikipedia, at least in the northeastern part of the nature reserve, some meadows are managed with the help of sheep.
Therefore, I hoped to be there before the sheep arrived and the electric fences used to contain them.
I chose Groß Köris train station, which is served hourly by the RE7 regional express train, as my starting point.
The L742 state road, which runs directly past the station, took me through the village.
From the edge of the village, this road also leads through the nature reserve.
At the point where the L742 turns towards Klein Köris, I switched to a forest path towards Löpten, but turned west before reaching the village.
At the Löpten Fen viewpoint, I set up the station on a bench there.
According to the plaque attached to the backrest, Theodor Fontane had already sat on this bench in 1861 – but for a 165-year-old bench, it still looked remarkably sturdy.
I tied the mast to a low-hanging branch of the large bush next to the bench.
I attached one guy wire of the antenna to a post of the electric fence, which fortunately wasn't yet in operation.
I stuck the peg of the other guy wire into the ground next to the track.
Around the calcareous moor, there is pastureland at the edge of the forest.
Although the electric fence in front of me wasn't electrified, I could hear a faint crackling sound in the transceiver.
Within 3 hours, I managed a total of 46 QSOs on 40, 30, and 20 meters.
My CQ calls on 17 meters went unanswered.
Since I had previously announced my policy against duplicate QSOs on the WWFF website, I will only acknowledge 44 QSOs.
The station that called me twice on one band, and whom I didn't reach live, will not receive confirmation for any of the QSOs.
On the way back, I visited the Wustrick meadows in the northwestern part of the nature reserve.
Following the Fennegraben A ditch more or less parallel to it, I reached the Wustrick meadows viewpoint.
There I discovered the source of the cracking noises: an electric fence.
This fence was used to keep ewes and their lambs in a small pasture.
Among the sheep was a shaggy white sheepdog.
Continuing along the Wustrickgraben B ditch, I reached the L742 road again and, after a total of 6,7 km, arrived back at Groß Köris train station.
Equipment: Elecraft K1 with 5 W transmit power in CW;
19 m doublet antenna with 8 m long two-wire link (Twisted-Hille) as an inverted-V on a 6-m-Mast
Devil's Lake DLFF-1281
11.4.2026: 
In the north of the Nature Park Schlaubetal lies the 55-hectare Nature Reserve Devil's Lake DLFF-1281.
The lake itself, from which the reserve takes its name, is only 5 hectares in size but up to 12 m deep.
It was formed after the last Ice Age as a kettle lake.
Together with the surrounding near-natural fens, it has been a protected area since 1961.
After a rather chilly night with temperatures around -2 °C, the temperature was expected to rise to 14 °C under clear skies.
According to the GFZ, the Kp index was 4 in the morning.
And the SWPC predicted only a G1 storm with minor radio blackouts (R1-R2) of 10%.
Good conditions for an extended radio hiking trip.
I started my hike at the train station Grunow (Lower Lusatia).
Trains on the RB36 line, which runs from Königs Wusterhausen to Frankfurt (Oder River), stop there hourly.
The current route is the result of a line closure.
In 1996, service on the section from Cottbus to Grunow was discontinued, and the remaining track to Frankfurt (Oder River) was connected to the existing line to Königs Wusterhausen.
This created the current "kink" in the route.
A section (24 km) of the old railway embankment, which runs southwards, has been converted into the Heathland Bicycle Path.
Unfortunately, the only road leading east from train station Grunow (Lower Lusatia) to the village of Grunow-Dammendorf is the B246 federal highway.
Although there is a parallel bicycle and footpath, I was glad to leave the B246 again in the part of the municipality named Grunow.
Initially following field paths, later forest trails, I reached the Demnitz stream.
But beware!
Only a few rotten beams remain of the plank path marked on the map.
Since I didn't want to mess with the young bulls in the pasture, I squeezed along the pasture fence on the slope of the river ditch to the wide bridge and back again on the other side.
Continuing on forest paths, I arrived in the Siehdichum district, which shares the same name.
After a short stretch on a small road, I reached the edge of the nature reserve.
On the edge of the hiking trail "Around Siehdichum", marked with a yellow dot on a white square, I set up here my station near the Devil's Lake.
I placed the transceiver on a tree stump and tied the antenna mast to a low-hanging branch of one of the beech trees.
The 40 m band was very busy, and I made 35 contacts there in the first hour.
When no one answered for a while, I switched to 30 m – but without success.
Only 5 QSOs were made on 20 m, and none at all on 17 m.
Therefore, I switched back to 40 m.
In total, I recorded 51 contacts.
After 2⅔ hours, I dismantled the station.
Following the agenda on the WWFF website, next to the announcement, not to acknowledge stations with duplicate QSOs, these failed to materialize.
For the return journey, I continued along the signposted hiking trail, which led me along the northern shores of Scherlach lake and large Treppel lake.
I crossed the Schlaube River at a small wooden bridge, where there is also a shelter, a picnic table, and a bench.
Although there is a shorter route from there via Dammendorf, I continued north along the forest path.
This brought me back to the path I had used on the way out, which I followed via Demnitz stream to Grunow.
After the familiar, unavoidable stretch parallel to the B246, I reached train station Grunow (Lower Lusatia) again after a total of 14,2 km and 108 m of ascent and 108 m of descent.
Equipment: Elecraft K1 with 5 W transmit power in CW;
19 m doublet antenna with 8 m long two-wire link (Twisted-Hille) as an inverted-V on a 6-m-Mast
Josinsky Fen DLFF-1279
18.4.2026: The 172-hectare nature reserve Josinsky Fen DLFF-1279 is located in the north of the Spreewald Biosphere Reserve.
To the south of the reserve, the river, also known locally as the Crooked Spree, flows eastward from Lake Neuendorf.
The entire fen has been drained for generations and is mostly used extensively, primarily for combined mowing and grazing, as can be read here.
According to this website, the formerly meandering Krumme Spree was straightened in the 1970s.
However, most of the oxbow lakes retained a connection to the Spree River on one side, so that seasonally wet floodplain grassland, meadows, and pastures can be found around them.
After a mild night with a temperature of 6 °C, the temperature was expected to rise to 20 °C under sunny skies, later becoming partly cloudy.
The SWPC forecast predicted a relatively spontaneous G2 storm that morning.
Its cause was said to be a sunspot one solar rotation (28 days) prior, which had previously triggered a G3 storm.
So I was prepared for the conditions that might prevail.
I started my bike tour at Wendisch Rietz train station.
Trains on the RB36 line from Königs Wusterhausen to Frankfurt (Oder) stop there hourly.
The federal highway B246 runs past the station, and I followed it on the parallel bicycle path until the turnoff to Behrensdorf.
While you have to share the road with cars on the L422, the relatively light traffic made it manageable.
In Behrensdorf, I left the L422 and headed towards Möllendorf on field and forest tracks.
Beyond the village, a small connecting road leads me to the L42 in Limsdorf.
This road, again quiet in terms of traffic and winding through forests, finally brought me to Alt-Schadow.
Before leaving home, I had already selected 3 possible locations: 2 spots along the banks of the Crooked Spree river and, as a backup, Werdersche Road, a road lined with small trees that runs through the nature reserve.
Anglers had set up camp at the first location I tried, at the end of the wide dirt track.
So I continued along a narrow path at the edge of the grain field until I reached a hunting high seat.
I set up my station on an old, thick tree trunk lying there.
This time, my bicycle served as a support for the antenna mast while I made myself comfortable on the old tree trunk.
In just under 2 hours, I only managed 25 contacts with stations in Central Europe on 40 m.
I had to search for a new, free frequency several times, as contest stations seemed to be missing my faint signals.
Switching to 20 m brought another seven contacts to the notepad I was using as a logbook.
But even on the contest-free 30 m band, I only managed to reach 1 station.
Therefore, I switched to 40 m.
In the end, 38 stations were logged, including two stations that were also active in a WWFF area.
After 3⅓ hours, I dismantled the station and headed back.
On the way back to Alt-Schadow, I made another photo stop at a hunting high seat along the path.
From there, I had a good view of part of the wetlands along the Crooked Spree.
The oxbow lakes are often recognizable by the small trees and bushes on their banks.
Back on the L42, I turned into the forest behind the gravel pit north of the Grubensee lake.
Following well-maintained forest paths suitable for cycling, I headed towards the nature campsite on the eastern shore of the Spiningsee lake.
A signposted hiking trail runs directly along the shore through the campsite area.
At the northern end of the Springsee, there is a canal built in 1857 (also known as the Springsee Flow), which today resembles a natural river.
It leads from the Springsee to the Great Glubigsee and on to the lock at the Small Glubigsee, before reaching the Scharmützelsee, as indicated on the sign at the bridge over the canal.
The section of the old canal from the Springsee to the Great Glubigsee is now only navigable by kayaks or canoes.
Following a concrete-paved track between the marshy area along the old canal and the fence of the military restricted zone, I reached the former post office building at the Glubigsee.
From there, a bumpy track continues along the fence, which led me back to the federal highway B246.
After a total of 30,9 km and 108 m of ascent and 108 m of descent, I arrived back at Wendisch Rietz train station.
Back home, I investigated the reason for the relatively poor conditions.
Although the predicted G2 storm hadn't materialized during my activation period, the Kp index, published by the GFZ, among others, was at 5, corresponding to a G1 storm.
Even though such a storm allows for radio communication, it made radio conditions very variable.
I was once asked if I look at such forecasts before outdoor activity.
My answer was: Sometimes.
And even if I did look at them, it ultimately didn't stop me from operating.
It simply prepares me for the conditions that might prevail on the bands.
If the number of stations I ended up contacting was rather modest, I would often look at the information from GFZ and SWPC afterward.
The main reason for me is that it allows me to draw conclusions, among other things, about choosing the right band in a similar situation.
Equipment: Elecraft K1 with 5 W transmit power in CW;
19 m doublet antenna with 8 m long two-wire link (Twisted-Hille) as an inverted-V on a 6-m-Mast
Friedland Valley DLFF-1035
25.4.2026: North of the town of Friedland lies the Friedland Valley DLFF-1035.
The main part of the 104-hectare nature reserve consists of the 3 Friedland Ponds located in the valley.
These are surrounded by an almost continuous belt of reeds.
The area also includes moorland.
Therefore, only a very small portion of the nature reserve is "solid land."
This includes the two dams between the ponds.
I set up my station on the eastern dam last time.
This time I had a different destination.
I chose Schneeberg (Mark) train stop as my starting point, where trains on the RB36 line from Königs Wusterhausen to Frankfurt (Oder) stop hourly when needed.
For my walking tour, I initially used the federal highway B246, which runs alongside the train stop, or more precisely, the parallel footpath and bicycle path.
In Krügersdorf, I switched to the K6714 road leading to Reudnitz, which runs largely through the forest.
After a short stretch on the Friedland Way, which becomes a wide farm track, I turned off behind a pond towards the eastern edge of the nature reserve.
There, in a depression 8 to 10 m deep on both sides of the Dammmühlenfließ stream, which feeds the ponds, is an open area.
It is mostly moorland, but there is also a section of old pasture.
At the edge of the forest, on the slope that descends gently to the stream, there is an old cattle paddock.
I set up the transceiver on the old loading ramp, which was high enough to serve as a good operating table.
I attached the mast to the rusty metal gate.
Propagation conditions were unsettled, just as predicted by the SWPC after the 2 X-flares.
Starting on 40 m, I switched to 30 m after 18 QSOs, but only managed 4 more.
On 20 meters, I reached 11 stations.
After a short break to stretch my legs, I made one QSO on 17 m, while my CQ calls on 15 m went unanswered.
Within 2⅔ hours, I managed to reach a total of 34 stations.
Except for 1 QSO to the East Coast of the USA, the stations I contacted were spread across Europe.
Before my fingers got too numb in the shade of the trees, with temperatures only around 10 °C and a steady wind, I packed up the station.
On the way back, I initially used a forest path after Reudnitz.
However, the majority of the route consisted of farm tracks.
Shortly before Krügersdorf, the path led me along the edge of the 75-hectare Krügersdorf Wildlife Farm.
Bisons grazed in several pastures, attentively observing my every move from a distance of about 10 m.
Luckily, there was a high fence, because I didn't want to mess with 500 kg of wild cattles.
There will also be enclosures for red deer, mouflon and fallow deer.
In Krügersdorf there is a manor house, sometimes referred to as a "castle".
The original manor house was built in 1539.
The current building was constructed after a fire in 1823.
Renovated in 2008, the building now houses the community center and holiday apartments on the upper floor.
The manor house does not yet have a WCA reference.
In Krügersdorf, I took a look at the two particularly old English oak standing there.
The 500-year-old specimen stands directly on the federal highway B246 in the direction of Beeskow, while the "only" 400-year-old specimen is located at the intersection where the road to Reudnitz branches off from the B246.
After the already familiar stretch of path parallel to the B246, I reached the Schneeberg (Mark) train stop again after a total of 13,9 km.
Equipment: Elecraft KX3 with 5 W transmit power in CW;
19 m doublet antenna with 8 m long two-wire link (Twisted-Hille) as an inverted-V on a 6-m-Mast
Biosphere reserve Schorfheide-Chorin DLFF-0029
+ Castle Herrenstein WCA DL-05534
1.5.2026: As it has for many years, the COTAgroup invited the German Castle Day on 1. May.
This event, which is not a contest, offered me, at least, the welcome opportunity to look for a castle, palace, or other historical building listed in the German WCA database, near which a DLFF area is located.
I found Castle Herrenstein (DL-05534, BRB-248) in the town of the same name.
Part of the maximum permissible radius of 1 km for a valid WCA activation coincides with the biosphere reserve Schorfheide-Chorin DLFF-0029.
a rather cool night with temperatures only 4 °C, the temperature was expected to rise to 23 °C with consistently sunny weather.
I started my bicycle tour at train station Templin (town).
This station is served hourly from Berlin by the RB12 regional train.
Leaving the town, I used the bicycle path that runs parallel to the federal highway B109 through the forest.
The country road L23 , which is quieter in terms of traffic, also has a wide bicycle path, at least as far as Milmersdorf.
And the country road L100, which I used from Milmersdorf onwards, was so quiet that I could easily manage with the cars.
After turning onto a small road, I cycled through Kronhorst and continued on an asphalt connecting path to the southern end of Herrenstein.
The part of the municipality, located 2,5 km from the municipality of Gerswalde, was established in 1755 as an outlying farm and dairy belonging to the Gerswalde manor, but was not known as Herrenstein until 1821.
Experts are still unsure whether the manor house was completely rebuilt in 1890 or merely extensively remodeled in the Neo-Baroque style.
It is clear, however, that the castle was converted into a hotel in 1994.
Former farm buildings, including two residential buildings and a bathhouse (center), were skillfully integrated into the hotel complex.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the castle grounds are protected under the town's historic preservation regulations.
Even during the preparations, I noticed that the castle festival with its flea market was scheduled to take place on the day of my planned activation, from 10 to 17 o'clock.
It would therefore be quite busy right around the castle.
But such a festival also has its advantages.
The effort required for food and drink during the radio activity is minimal, since you can buy practically everything nearby.
Therefore, I only needed to find a spot to set up the station where visitors wouldn't get tangled in the antenna wires.
The advertised "music and entertainment" also needed to be barely audible there.
I looked at the potential locations I had already marked on the map at home, but then returned to the first spot I had inspected.
I set up the station here, at the edge of a dirt track, in the shade of a small cherry tree.
This spot was located almost exactly 500 meters southwest of the castle.
I used my bicycle as a mast support.
I ran one antenna wire across the dirt track and attached it as high as possible to one of the large trees there.
I secured the other wire with a tent peg in the pasture.
When the first horse-drawn carriage carrying festival visitors bumped along the dirt track, I was glad I had attached the antenna high enough to the tree.
This time, in addition to the Morse key, I also brought a microphone, as many stations that had announced their participation in the German Castles Day planned to be active in SSB.
According to the GFZ, the Kp index was 3, which is acceptable.
However, the SWPC had predicted radio blackouts of strength R1/R2 (minor/moderate) with a 50 % probability.
This roughly corresponded to the conditions encountered on the bands.
I started in CW on 40 meters.
After ½ hours, I plugged in the microphone, but even after several calls, I couldn't be heard by a station with a strong signal.
After switching to 20 meters in CW, I managed to reach a few more stations.
In the end, after ¾ hours, a total of 22 stations were logged.
Of course, after dismantling the radio station, I also visited the castle festival, as the organizers were still setting up when I arrived.
I didn't stay long, though.
After a physical refreshment with two pieces of cake and a large mug of coffee, I started my return journey.
I took the same routes I had used in the morning.
After a total of 42,2 km, I arrived back at train station Templin (town).
By then, the temperature had risen to 23 °C in the shade.
I enjoyed the ice cream I had bought at the station in the "At the barrier" on the train.
Equipment: Elecraft KX3 with 5 W transmit power in CW, 10 W in SSB;
19 m doublet antenna with 8 m long two-wire link (Twisted-Hille) as an inverted-V on a 6-m-Mast
Addendum on 4.5.2026: The certificate of participation just arrived as a PDF file as a nice present for the activity during the German Castle Day 2026, which is not a contest.
Large and western shore of Small Zesch Lake DLFF-1320
3.5.2026: According to the weather forecast, after a mild night with temperatures between 9 °C and 28 °C, the temperature should rise.
And with sunny skies, there is only a 10 % chance ofrainfall.
In weather like this, a trip to a lake is practically a must.
North of Baruth (Mark) lies the 107-hectare nature reserve Large and western shore of Small Zesch lake DLFF-1320.
According to the regulation, the purpose of the protection is "the preservation of lowland and spring areas in the regional biotope network within the Nuthe-Notten lowlands."
In addition, an area encompassing the nature reserve is designated as an FFH and Natura 2000 area.
I started my hike at train station Neuhof (near Zossen).
The old B96 runs along the west side of the station, curving to meet the new B96.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find any other route, so I had to walk about 900 meters along the shoulder of the B96.
Since there was relatively little traffic so early in the morning, it was manageable.
Nevertheless, I was glad when I reached the turnoff to Lindenbrück and Zesch at the Lake.
This road is paved with cobblestones after the asphalt overpass across the railway line.
However, there's a wide strip of sand on one side.
The road between Lindenbrück and Zesch at the Lake is paved again.
Shortly before Zesch at the Lake, I turned south into the woods and reached the western shore of the Great Zesch Lake.
There's a bench right by the water.
But lingering was impossible, as I was greeted by a swarm of hungry mosquitoes.
So I continued along the shore.
My first destination, which I had already chosen at home, was a promontory jutting into the lake.
A light breeze blowing across the lake kept the mosquitoes away, so I stayed.
On the promontory, where there is also a monument to Friedrich Carl Leopold Count of Solms-Baruth, there are three benches and a table a little further away.
I used the bench here there as a station table and as a place to sit.
I attached the mast to a tree right by the water.
I strung the antenna wires as high as possible in the trees so that the two anglers who had arrived in the meantime wouldn't get tangled in them.
The start on 40 meters was promising.
When no one answered my CQ calls for a while, I switched to 30 meters – without reaching a single station.
I managed a few QSOs on 20 meters.
Therefore, I didn't even try 17 meters.
After 2½ hours, 39 contacts were recorded on the notepad serving as a makeshift logbook, including one to the East Coast of the USA.
After dismantling the station, I continued my walk around the lake.
Navigation is easy thanks to the signposts and small red dot markers, even without a map.
At the southern end, I reached the second spot I had already chosen for setting up the station: a covered picnic area.
However, I felt the urge to continue.
On the eastern shore, after passing the campsite, I reached the swimming area and shortly afterward the first houses of Zesch at the Lake.
My destination was the "In the countryside" ice cream parlor.
After two slices of delicious strawberry cake and a pot of coffee, I continued my hike.
As I left the village, it became clear why the area was designated a nature reserve: there are extensive wetlands that stretch right up to the road.
I continued along the same paths through the forest that I had already used on the way there.
Traffic on th federal highwaye B96 had increased, however.
Although there is a usable shoulder on the left side of the road, it is narrower and also bordered by a guardrail.
Fortunately, there is a cycle path shortly before the old B96 merges into the main road, which I used as far as the east side of the train station.
I would have liked to get an ice cream from the "Ice Cream Girl", but the queue was too long.
Opposite the ice cream parlor, hidden behind a high wall, stands Neuhof Castle (WCA DL-04141, BRB-146), actually a manor house.
The house was built in 1757 and, according to Wikipedia, has been empty since 2020.
After a total of 13,3 km, I reached again train station Neuhof (near Zossen).
Equipment: Elecraft K1 with 5 W transmit power in CW;
19 m doublet antenna with 8 m long two-wire link (Twisted-Hille) as an inverted-V on a 6-m-Mast
Biesenthal Basin DLFF-0372
10.5.2026: Located southwest of the town of Biesenthal lies the nature reserve Biesenthal Basin DLFF-0372.
This 900-hectare area acquired its topography during the last Ice Age - a legacy evident, among other features, in its hilly landscape characterized by kames (steep-sided hills) and so-called tongue-basin lakes (glacial lakes).
Today, interspersed among mixed deciduous forests, the area features numerous wet meadows and bogs that provide habitat for a diverse array of plant and bird species.
Consequently, the Biesenthaler Basin is designated as a Fauna-Flora-Habitat and forms part of the Europe-wide Natura 2000 network of protected areas.
The weather forecast predicted a temperature of 19 °C following a night of 6 °C.
And there was only a 10 % chance of rain.
All in all, then, these were good conditions for a longer hike.
Although I had previously ventured into the Biesenthal Basin twice with a radio station in my backpack, I had not yet explored its northern section.
As my starting point, I chose Train station Rüdnitz, which - "thanks" to a cancelled train and the delay of the next one - I did not reach until 1¼ hour later than planned.
At the western edge of Rüdnitz, I turned onto Hellmühler Way, which transitions into a forest path.
Between Plötzen Lake and Langerönne Lake, I switched to the hiking trail running from Lobetal to Finowfurt.
This path is well-marked with a yellow bar on a white background.
Near the trail junction "Two Bridges" , there is a bench situated by the Hellmühle Steam.
I used this bench both to set up my station and as a seat.
I secured the mast to an acacia tree on the opposite side of the path.
Since there was an surprisingly high number of hikers and cyclists passing along this trail, I had to route the feedline as high as possible through the branches to reach the bench.
I drove the stakes for the antenna guy wires into the ground along the edge of the path in such a way that no one could get tangled in them.
On 40 m, many contest stations were active, so I managed to make very few contacts.
My CQ calls on 30 m yielded no QSOs.
On 20 meters, amidst the contest turmoil, I was likewise able to reach only a few stations.
My calls on 17 m went unanswered.
Consequently, I switched back to 40 m.
Fortunately, the contest had ended by then, and I managed to log another 18 QSOs.
However, a subsequent switch back to 20 m did not result in any further contacts.
Before the hungry mosquitoes could drain me completely dry, I packed up my station after 2⅔ hours, with 28 QSOs recorded in my logbook.
For the return journey, I continued to follow the signposted hiking trail.
Shortly after the 1. bridge, I crossed the Rüdnitz Steam at the 2. bridge.
The path continues along the wetlands formed by the stream.
Before the trail leaves the nature reserve, it crosses the Peacock Stream.
I was drawn further toward the town center of Biesenthal.
Nearby, situated on the Castle Hill next to the Kaiser Friedrich Tower - erected in 1906–1907 - lie the ruins of Biesenthal Castle (WCA DL-03566, BRB-028), which dates back to the era of the Ascanians.
Since I was already familiar with the castle, I headed for the "Café at the Caste Hill".
There, I recharged with a large cup of coffee and 3 slices of delicious cake before setting out on the final stretch of the hike.
Following the regional road L29 (Station Street), I reached train station Biesenthal after a total distance of 12,3 km.
Equipment: Elecraft K1 with 5 W transmit power in CW;
19 m doublet antenna with 8 m long two-wire link (Twisted-Hille) as an inverted-V on a 6-m-Mast
Reitwein Spur with Priest's Gorge, Mill and Siskin Hill DLFF-1317
18.5.2026: The Reitwein Spur is a distinctive, wooded ridge that extends deep into the Oderbruch region.
It consists of an elongated chain of hills reaching an elevation of up to 83 m (at the Springberg), which slopes steeply down toward the Oderbruch and was formed as an undercut slope of the original River Oder.
The Nature Reserve Reitwein Spur with Priest's Gorge, Mill and Siskin Hill DLFF-1317 - totaling 117 hectares - comprises three separate sections.
Located on the eastern slope of the Reitwein Spur, just south of the village of Reitwein, lies the "Reitwein Spur" area.
Directly adjacent to this - and situated north of Wuhden - is the area surrounding the "Siskin Hill".
On the western side of the ridge lies the "Priest's Gorge".
Furthermore, a small section on the "Mill Hill" - encompassing the Easter spring near Libbenichen - is also part of the nature reserve; however, this section is situated approximately 6 km almost due west of the "Priest's Gorge", on the western slope of the Oderbruch.
I began the hike at the bus stop "Reitwein, Village" , which can be reached from Frankfurt (Oder) or Seelow via bus line 969.
Reitwein Palace, a Baroque structure built in the early 1670s, was demolished in 1962.
Today, a memorial stone - among other things - commemorates the historic building, and a hornbeam hedge traces its outlines.
Of the Stüler Church - a Neo-Gothic brick structure consecrated in 1858 (the second church to stand on this site) - only a ruin remained after World War II.
After 1990, the church tower was at least reconstructed; of the nave, only the exterior walls still stand.
The municipality of Reitwein is situated at an elevation of 16 m.
What looks like a forest path today is actually Frankfurt Street, which served as a trade, postal, and military route connecting Frankfurt (Oder), Küstrin, and Stettin from the 16. to the 18. century.
Following this road one reaches a 68-m-high plateau, accessible through a straight, and therefore man-made, valley.
The eastern slope of this plateau is marked by numerous deep ravines.
Situated between the Beer Ravine and the nightingale Ravine, at an elevation of 63 m, lay a Slavic settlement fortified with earthen ramparts that existed from the 8. to the 10. century.
Since I had not traveled here solely for radio communication, I took the opportunity to inspect this fortification complex.
The front section was protected by a wide ditch, while the rear was defended by an earthen rampart - a feature that remains visible to this day.
From the earthen ramparts, I walked back a short distance toward Reitwein and headed for my actual destination.
Right at the lookout point Beautiful View, there are two benches.
I used the first one initially - and the second one later, as the sun shifted - both for setting up my station and for sitting.
I secured the mast to one of the posts of the wooden railing.
As a gentle breeze was blowing up the slope, I remained free of mosquitoes in the partial shade at 16 °C.
After just 1½ hours, 30 contacts on 40 m were already recorded on my paper notes.
Within just under 3 hours, I reached a total of 44 european stations across the 40, 30, and 20-m bands.
Given the G1 storm predicted by the SWPC - and the accompanying, rather unsettled radio conditions - this is actually not a bad result at all.
For the return journey, the path leading to Podelzig (Reitwein Street) presented itself as a good option - a route from which I could also have reached the Priest's Gorge.
However, I chose instead to follow the path down the valley back to Reitwein.
Once back in the village, I refueled at the restaurant "At the Reitwein Spur" with some hearty home-style cooking (schnitzel, asparagus, and potatoes) and a large glass of apple juice.
After covering a total distance of 4,5 km (↑ 61 m, ↓ 61 m), I arrived back at the bus stop "Reitwein, village".
Equipment: Elecraft K1 with 5 W transmit power in CW;
9 m vertical antenna with 9 m long radial (Up & Outer) on a 10-m-Mast
Confirmations
In principle, QSL cards are not required to apply for DLFF and WWFF diplomas.
Instead, every radio amateur uploads their QSO data to a database, which I also did in the week following activation.
However, I usually don't know if my contacts are also using this service.
Perhaps they have nothing to do with the DLFF or WWFF program and made the QSO for a completely different reason.
Therefore, I filled out QSL cards promptly after each activation and sent them via the DARC bureau.
The exception was my QSO partners, from whom I hadn't received a QSL card even for older QSOs.
I assume these radio amateurs aren't members of any radio association and therefore can't send or receive QSL cards through the QSL bureau.
They might also simply not confirm QSOs with a QSL card at all.
In either case, I saved myself of filling out and sending a QSL card.
