Kyritz between city history and the chain of lakes

In Kyritz, city history and a waterside landscape come together: half-timbered houses, a church, a monastery, and the market square shape the town’s cultural character, while the Kyritz chain of lakes offers opportunities for activities on and around the water. When planning your trip, you can choose your priorities based on whether you mainly want to explore historic places or spend time by the chain of lakes.

City history around the church, monastery, and market square

St. Mary’s Church has an imposing twin-towered façade. It is open Monday through Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.; check the opening hours before your trip. The Franciscan Monastery of St. John was founded in the second half of the 13th century. Its restored north wall and the monastery wall provide a backdrop for open-air events.

The townscape also tells a story: numerous half-timbered houses shape Kyritz, most of them dating from the 19th century. A castle-like town hall stands on the elongated market square. One of the oldest Bibles, dating from the 15th century, is housed there. Since 2007, the Bassewitz Fountain on the market square has told stories of the town and its history. The fountain by artist Jan Witte-Kropius was inspired by the Bassewitz legend.

You can learn about Kyritz’s history at the local history museum in the building at Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Straße 6. The church and monastery garden, as well as exhibitions by the Kyritz local history association, also contribute to the town’s cultural character. Check before your visit whether access is currently possible. This will help you plan historic architecture and local stories as different aspects of a stay in Kyritz.

The Kyritz chain of lakes: shores, trails, and water sports

Kyritz lies within the “Kyritz Chain of Lakes” landscape conservation area. The chain of lakes forms an approximately 20-kilometer-long glacial meltwater channel stretching from Bork-Lellichow to Wusterhausen, and is a large recreation area for anglers, campers, cyclists, hikers, and water sports enthusiasts. Motorboats with combustion engines are not permitted on the Kyritz chain of lakes—a useful point to keep in mind when planning your time on the water.

A natural hiking trail runs right along the shore of Untersee Lake. The circular route around Untersee Lake has designated starting and finishing points, a stated distance, and an estimated duration: the start and finish are at Kyritz lido; another starting and finishing point is at Uferweg 1 in Wusterhausen/Dosse. The route is 19 kilometers long and is listed as taking six hours. This makes the circular route easy to plan as a separate block of time in your day; the hiking trail, by contrast, is characterized by its natural course directly along the shore.

From May to September, a ferry runs from the Kyritz shore via Untersee Island to Bantikow. Check the current timetable before your trip. Kyritz railway station is also part of the town’s transport connections; if you plan to arrive by train, you can check the services to suit your stay.

Choose a base to suit your priorities

Kyritz combines the atmosphere of the market square and its historic buildings with the recreational area around the chain of lakes. These places and trails offer different options for planning your day: a visit focused on local history, a walk along the shore, or a longer circular lake route with a stated duration. If you are looking for accommodation, consider which of these priorities will be most important during your stay.

Discover more destinations: Zernitz-Lohm, Lindow, Fehrbellin, Märkisch Linden, Storbeck-Frankendorf, Wittstock/Dosse, Berlinchen, Neustadt.

For the overview of the wider region: Ostprignitz-Ruppin.