New Year location suggestions around Berlin?

[Max-fossils]

Hey everyone,

 

This New Year we will be going to Berlin, and we'll stay a few days there to visit the city and the area. If possible, we would like to do some fossil hunting one day. 

Does anyone know of any good, still accessible locations not too far from there? This time of the year it's really cold (in The Hague it's already freezing, and Berlin is probably twice as cold due to it being much more inland), and I wouldn't be too surprised if there is some snow too, so it would be good to know which locations are still relatively easy to access and hunt at under these conditions. 

I found this location nearby, Rüdersdorf, which seems accessible.

I also found this one that is not too far away, Bad Freienwalde, but from the website it appears that parts of it are closed now?

I also have no clue how the fossil hunting at these locations goes, so any advice on tools, techniques, where and how to look, etc would be really useful  

 

Preferably not a location that is much more than an hour's car ride away from Berlin please... 

 

@Ludwigia @belemniten Roger and Sebastian, I hope you don't mind me tagging you in this, I know you two have done lots of fossil hunting in Germany, maybe you have some tips you'd be willing to share? 

 

Thanks in advance everyone!

 

Max

[Ludwigia]

1 hour ago, Max-fossils said:

Hey everyone,

 

This New Year we will be going to Berlin, and we'll stay a few days there to visit the city and the area. If possible, we would like to do some fossil hunting one day. 

Does anyone know of any good, still accessible locations not too far from there? This time of the year it's really cold (in The Hague it's already freezing, and Berlin is probably twice as cold due to it being much more inland), and I wouldn't be too surprised if there is some snow too, so it would be good to know which locations are still relatively easy to access and hunt at under these conditions. 

I found this location nearby, Rüdersdorf, which seems accessible.

I also found this one that is not too far away, Bad Freienwalde, but from the website it appears that parts of it are closed now?

I also have no clue how the fossil hunting at these locations goes, so any advice on tools, techniques, where and how to look, etc would be really useful  

 

Preferably not a location that is much more than an hour's car ride away from Berlin please... 

 

@Ludwigia @belemniten Roger and Sebastian, I hope you don't mind me tagging you in this, I know you two have done lots of fossil hunting in Germany, maybe you have some tips you'd be willing to share? 

 

Thanks in advance everyone!

 

Max

Sorry, Max, but I don't have any more to suggest than the sites you've already found, since I've never gone collecting in the area around Berlin. As you know, Germany is relatively large, and I'm way down in the southwest.

[Johannes]

Hi Max,

 

collecting fossils in (and one hour car ride around) Berlin is tricky, esp. in this time of the year. Bad Freienwaldes eocene strata are, as far as i know, (unofficially) accessible, but (even without snow or frosted) you a more than happy to find one single small snail... Rüdersdorf is closed from november until april, so collecting triassic fossils in this classical outcrop is not an option in the time you plan your visit.

 

I would recommend a visit at the Natural History Museum, to see at least some fossils ;). And, on Dec., the 27th there is a (semi"private") geo-/palaeo-auction of the fossil-collectors-group of Berlin, where guests are very welcome, and the chance to get some really nice fossils from the Berlin area is much higher as to find them by your own even in the summer month...   If you are interested writ me a PM and I will give you some further informations, time and place for this meeting in the southeastern part of Berlin. Maybe some of the real locals there have some specific and more actual informations about collecting possibilities in the collectors-unfriendliest month of the year.

 

Best regards

 

JK

[Max-fossils]

@Johannes

Ok, thanks a lot for all the information!

I'll probably take a look at the Natural History Museum. I won't be there the 27th so I can't make it to the meeting.

I'm not surprised that the current weather conditions make fossil hunting infeasible in the region; I'm even reluctant to go fossil hunting on the Zandmotor this time a year, because the wind and frost freeze your fingers till they become numb, even with two gloves on each hand. Gah, I can't wait till summer! 

Thanks again,

Max

[Max-fossils]

19 hours ago, Ludwigia said:

Sorry, Max, but I don't have any more to suggest than the sites you've already found, since I've never gone collecting in the area around Berlin. As you know, Germany is relatively large, and I'm way down in the southwest.

Ok, no problem, thanks anyways