Herzsprung – Meadows, Village History and Cycle Routes

Herzsprung combines a landscape of meadows and fields with village history, architectural heritage and opportunities at Lake Parstein. The district of the town of Angermünde lies between the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve and the Lower Oder Valley National Park. This brings together several themes to consider when planning your trip: the landscape, the village church, a swimming area and cycle routes that pass through Herzsprung.

Meadows, fields and protected areas

Herzsprung lies amid lush meadows and fields. At the same time, the village is situated between two designated protected areas: the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve and the Lower Oder Valley National Park. These landscape features define the setting of the village. If you are looking for accommodation, you can first consider whether nature, activities on the water or the village’s history is the main focus of your plans.

Village history and architectural heritage

Herzsprung was first mentioned in 1281 as “Hertsprunge” in a donation by the margraves to Chorin Abbey. Since 2003, Herzsprung has been a district of the town of Angermünde. The village church is a rectangular Late Gothic fieldstone building with a timber-clad roof tower. Visitors to the small village church in Herzsprung can learn about the history of the region and the village, and discover traces of the cultural and architectural history of Uckermark churches.

Other buildings and memorial sites are also designated as historic monuments: the war memorial on Lindenstraße (monument number 09130509), the church at Lindenstraße 1 (monument number 09130507) and the farmstead at Lindenstraße 33–35. The farmstead comprises a residential house, servants’ house, stable buildings and a barn. Another cultural feature is the Ant Fountain, designed by artist Mecky Ferber in 2000 as a woodland spring.

Swimming area and cycle routes

There is a swimming area with a sunbathing lawn at the northern tip of Lake Parstein. As conditions and facilities may vary by season, check them before planning a day of swimming. For cyclists, the Uckermark Cycle Route leads from Herzsprung along Lake Parstein, through hilly woodland and fields, to Neukünkendorf. The stated distance for this section is 164 km. Two other named tours pass through Herzsprung: the “Stolpe Grützpott Panorama and Lower Oder Valley National Park” cycle tour and the family cycle tour “Lake Parstein and Crussow Youth Farm”.

This offers different options for your plans: a day of swimming at the lake, a cycle tour, or time to explore the village’s history and architectural heritage.

Culture in the wider destination of Angermünde

Angermünde also offers its own historical and cultural points of interest. The Angermünde Museum has an extensive archaeological collection of ceramic vessels dating from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages. Its permanent exhibition, “History and Stories”, presents discoveries in Angermünde and stories associated with Ehm Welk. Angermünde’s historic old town is a protected heritage site. St. Mary’s Church was completed around 1250 as the town’s parish church and has largely retained its original condition.

Buildings and public spaces add their own distinctive touches: the powder tower in Angermünde is 21 metres high and extends 3.50 metres below ground. Along the Mündesee promenade, stone sculptures made from extremely heavy glacial granite boulders are on display. They were created in connection with the hard-stone symposia held in Angermünde from 1997 onwards.

There are different ways to explore the town centre. A guided tour of Angermünde’s historic town centre lasts 1.5 hours and takes you through small, narrow lanes alongside a historic town wall. A digital audio guide takes you on a roughly 2.5-kilometre route to various sights and places steeped in history.

For a change of theme, Angermünde Zoo offers a separate area to explore within the wider destination. The park covers seven hectares and is home to around 250 animals from 45 species from all continents. It includes petting enclosures with ponies, goats and guinea pigs, as well as an adventure playground. The zoo’s educational centre offers themed guided tours, animal safaris, project days and hiking days.

Discover more destinations: Frauenhagen

Return to the overview of the wider destination: Angermünde.