Groß Plasten: Castle History and Village Church

The castle, village church and landscaped park give Groß Plasten distinct historical and natural points of interest. If you would like to combine architectural history with walks in green surroundings, you can plan your trip around both here.

Castle and Village Church

The village church in Groß Plasten was built in 1901 as a plastered, octagonal central-plan building on a natural stone base, in the Neo-Baroque style. It was designed by architect Franz Schwechten; the reason for its construction was a dispute over the shared use of the church in Klein Plasten. The village church has been a listed building since the 1980s. Its complete sandstone furnishings date from the time of construction. The organ in the west gallery is also part of the building’s history: it was built by W. Sauer in 1901 and restored in 1997.

Groß Plasten Castle was built in the second half of the 19th century and received an extension in the early 20th century. This means that two very different historical building projects stand side by side in the village: the village church as a Neo-Baroque central-plan building and the castle with its later extension. These differences give the village’s history a concrete architectural dimension.

Landscaped Park and Paths

A landscaped park with rare trees adjoins the castle. Hiking trails run through the park, connecting Groß Plasten and Klein Plasten. This makes the park a destination in its own right when choosing where to go: you can take into account both the history of the buildings and the paths between the two villages when planning your trip. No particular walking time or trail conditions are assumed.

There are also distinctive places with historical and natural features elsewhere in the municipality beyond Groß Plasten itself. In Varchentin, the castle was built in 1847 to designs by Swiss architect Auguste de Meuron, in the Tudor style. Peter Joseph Lenné drew up plans in 1838 for the design of the park in Varchentin. Groups of trees, notable individual trees and meadows characterize the park; the Kleine and Große Varchentiner lakes are surrounded by a belt of reeds. You can walk around the Kleine Varchentiner See in about an hour.

The church in Varchentin dates from the second half of the 13th century, around 1270 to 1280. In Klein Plasten, the so-called Rundling, a circular village with 13 farms, was laid out in 1934. Another historic destination is the old reed-thatched mill in Beckenkrug: it was built sometime between about 1851 and 1875 and is the only mill in the Müritz region that has survived in its original location. These places offer different historical points of interest from the buildings in Groß Plasten itself.

Nature in the Mecklenburg Lake District

As a wider travel destination, the Mecklenburg Lake District offers further, distinct nature-related experiences to include in your plans. Müritz National Park is part of the Mecklenburg Lake District and is characterized by forests, bogs, lakes and vast meadows. Its hiking trail explores the landscape in nine stages: it runs along lakes, through ancient forests, past inland dunes and to the source of the Havel. Certified nature and landscape guides offer informative tours in the national park, including tours of the UNESCO World Heritage beech forest in Serrahn and excursions from the water.

The Damerower Werder bison reserve is another nature destination in the Mecklenburg Lake District. It is located on a peninsula in Lake Kölpin and in Nossentiner/Schwinzer Heath Nature Park; visitors can observe bison there. The forest discovery trail features climbing opportunities, an ant house, an exhibition with touch-and-see panels, and a dendrophone. For a trip with children, these different stops offer practical points of interest if you are looking for nature observation and different ways to explore.

Accommodation in Groß Plasten

THE RESET Hotel is located at Parkallee 36, 17192 Groß Plasten. At Groß Plasten Castle, THE RESET offers detox and therapeutic fasting programs with medical care. To help plan the rest of your trip, you can decide whether you are mainly interested in the architectural history and paths in Groß Plasten or would also like to include nature destinations in the Mecklenburg Lake District.

Discover more destinations: Grabowhöfe, Varchentin, Jabel, Kargow, Vollrathsruhe, Moltzow, Neu Gaarz, Torgelow Am See.

Back to the regional travel overview: Amt Seenlandschaft Waren.