Lehnitz: Lake, Forest and Places of Remembrance

Lehnitz combines a narrow lake with extensive mixed forests and places where different chapters of history come to light. This gives your trip several possible focal points: you can experience the landscape on a circular walk or take time to explore architectural history and places of remembrance.

Lake Lehnitz and Mixed Forests

Lake Lehnitz is a narrow kettle lake, 2.3 kilometres long and up to 450 metres wide. Lehnitz stretches along its eastern shore. Mixed forests surround the village and extend for kilometres to the neighbouring places of Schmachtenhagen, Summt and Borgsdorf. Together, lake and forest shape the landscape you can discover on an excursion around Lehnitz.

Circular Walk and Lock

The circular walk around Lake Lehnitz offers views of the lake and places to rest at secluded coves and bathing beaches. Lehnitz Lock is a highlight along the route: cargo ships, pleasure boats and excursion boats all pass through it. The circular trail thus combines views of nature with a glimpse of shipping on the waterway.

To reach the circular walk around Lake Lehnitz by public transport, take the RE5 or S1 from Berlin Central Station to Oranienburg, then bus 805 towards Liebenwalde to the “Finanzamt Oranienburg” stop. Check the timetable before travelling.

Places of Remembrance and Architectural History

The former Jewish convalescent home in Lehnitz was established in 1899. Until the Nazis came to power, it served as a place of recovery for Jewish people in need. A memorial site, inaugurated in 2015 at the harbour basin, commemorates the victims of the “Klinkerwerk” subcamp of the concentration camp.

The Lehnitz-Nord forest settlement also tells the story of the area. It is a protected architectural ensemble in Lehnitz. In the Oranienburg Forest, it was built between 1938 and 1943 on seven hectares, with 20 detached houses for Luftwaffe test pilots and officers.

The Friedrich Wolf Memorial offers guided tours of the house, where the original living environment—with books, pictures and preserved contemporary documents—has been maintained. It is open to all visitors on Fridays from 12 noon to 4 pm. If you are planning your stay, these opening hours can help you choose a day to visit.

More to explore in the wider destination of Oranienburg

In the wider destination of Oranienburg, Oranienburg Palace offers a different cultural highlight: it is one of the most significant Baroque buildings in the Margraviate of Brandenburg. At the authentic site, the Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum commemorates the history of Sachsenhausen concentration camp (1936–1945), Soviet Special Camp No. 1/7 (1945–1950) and the National Memorial Site (1945–1961). Thirteen permanent exhibitions can be visited in the camp’s surviving buildings, each connecting its subject to the corresponding location.

The wider destination of Oranienburg also offers a cycling route: the 300-kilometre “Around Berlin” Regional Park Route runs through the town of Oranienburg from Leegebruch via Eden to the palace, continues through the centre, then crosses Lehnitz Lock to Schmachtenhagen and Wensickendorf. The circular walk around Lake Lehnitz is a walking tour; the Regional Park Route is a 300-kilometre cycling tour.

Choose accommodation to suit your itinerary

If you are looking for accommodation in Lehnitz, it can help to first decide what you want to focus on during your trip. Would you mainly like to experience Lake Lehnitz and the forest landscape, or are you more interested in the places of remembrance and architectural history? A visit to the wider destination of Oranienburg may also shape your plans. With your preferred itinerary in mind, you can compare options based on what matters for your stay.

Discover more destinations: Friedrichsthal.

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