Teltow Travel Guide — Best Time, Things to Do & Where to Stay

Why Teltow

Teltow is a town situated in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district of Brandenburg, Germany. Positioned within the broader Berlin agglomeration, it lies 17 kilometers from the center of Berlin and 15 kilometers from Potsdam. The municipality takes its name from the surrounding moraine plateau formed during the last glacial period. Running along the northern edge of the town, the Teltow Canal defines the border between Brandenburg and Berlin, connecting the River Havel near Potsdam with the River Dahme near Köpenick.

First documented in a 1265 deed issued by Margrave Otto III of Brandenburg, Teltow has a history closely tied to its border location. Between 1961 and 1990, the town shared a boundary with West Berlin, where the Teltow Canal and eastern districts such as Seehof and Sigridshorst were divided by the Berlin Wall. During the mid-twentieth century, Teltow emerged as an industrial hub for automation technology and electronic components within the German Democratic Republic, driven by state enterprises such as Askania and the Carl von Ossietzky plant. In 1994, the municipality expanded by incorporating the neighboring southwest village of Ruhlsdorf.

The central historic landmark of Teltow is St. Andrew's, a Protestant fieldstone church dating back to the 12th century that was reconstructed in 1812 based on plans by architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The building gained artistic recognition when painter Lyonel Feininger depicted it in his 1918 artwork, Teltow II. Although urban redevelopment in the 1960s cleared much of the historic downtown, surviving structures and historic areas received official protections starting in the 1980s. Teltow is also recognized for its culinary legacy, specifically the Teltow turnip, a distinct regional specialty that has been a registered trademark since 1993.

Visitors reach Teltow through multiple rail and road links. Teltow Stadt railway station connects to the Berlin S-Bahn line S25, while the separate Teltow station to the southeast provides service on RegionalExpress lines 3, 4, and 5. Road transit is facilitated by sections of the Potsdam-Schönefeld Expressway, linking the town to Potsdam city center and Berlin-Schönefeld Airport. Multiple regional bus routes also run through Teltow, connecting it to nearby municipalities and various districts across Berlin.