Friedrichsthal: Havel Lowlands and Village History

Friedrichsthal combines the landscape of the Havel lowlands with a multifaceted local history. Pine forests characterize the southern part of the village; to the north, meadows and pastures lie along the Havel and the Malzer Canal. There is also a well-preserved historic village center on the Oder-Havel Canal, and traces of the past ranging from the former castle to watchmaking. The landscape and history offer two distinct focal points for planning your stay.

Landscape and routes along the canal

The Havel lowlands provide the landscape setting for Friedrichsthal: forest to the south, meadows and pastures to the north. The canals are also useful landmarks in the area. Visitors on foot or by bicycle can cross the canal in Friedrichsthal via a pedestrian and bicycle bridge. It replaced the former passenger ferry—a change that connects the history of the crossing with today’s bridge.

Village center and traces of the past

The well-preserved historic center lies directly on the Oder-Havel Canal and includes the village church and two inns. Several layers of history meet at the church. The former Friedrichsthal Castle stretched from today’s village square toward the Havel; its remaining buildings were demolished in 1875. A stone coat of arms set into the village church commemorates the site of the castle. The church itself was built between 1895 and 1897.

Other chapters of the village’s history are tied to specific addresses: A memorial plaque on Grabowseestraße commemorates Siegmund Breitbart, a strongman with the circus who lived in Friedrichsthal for a time and owned a villa there. The colonist houses on Friedrichsthaler Chaussee preserve the memory of French-Swiss immigration and the watchmaking practiced there in the 18th century. Together, these places make the village’s history tangible not only through a single building, but through diverse traces in the townscape.

Once you know what you want to focus on, you can search more specifically for accommodation for your trip and plan your outings accordingly.

Oranienburg: a distinct focus on culture and cycling routes

The wider destination of Oranienburg offers other, distinct points of interest. Oranienburg Palace is one of the most important Baroque buildings in the Margraviate of Brandenburg. The Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum commemorates, at the authentic site, the history of Sachsenhausen concentration camp (1936–1945), Soviet Special Camp No. 1/7 (1945–1950), and the establishment of the National Memorial and Museum (1945–1961). Thirteen permanent exhibitions can be visited in the preserved camp buildings, connecting their themes with the respective locations. The memorial also offers an extensive educational program for museum visitors.

Cycling routes also vary in length and course. The Fontane Cycle Route is about 300 kilometers long, starts in Oranienburg and runs through Brandenburg in the footsteps of Theodor Fontane. The 50-kilometer Holländer Circular Route connects Liebenwalde and Oranienburg. The 215-kilometer Lakes and Culture Cycle Route is a loop in the Ruppin region and connects Neuruppin, Rheinsberg and Oranienburg, among other places. This gives you a choice of different types of regional routes when planning a tour; check route conditions before setting out.

For Oranienburg, the tourism portal offers a range of themed tours and individually bookable guided tours for groups, families or individuals, on foot, by bicycle or by bus. This lets you include guided ways of exploring culture and history in your trip planning, alongside independent cycling tours.

Discover more destinations: Lehnitz.

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