Discover Varchentin: Church, Castle and Lakes

Varchentin combines a listed village church and castle history with a landscape shaped by lakes. Two themes can be explored side by side here: buildings with details from different centuries and a walk around Lake Kleiner Varchentiner See. If you are planning a trip, you can consider whether cultural history or time outdoors should play a greater role in your stay.

The village church: a brick building with later additions

The Varchentin village church is a listed building in Varchentin. It was built of brick around 1250 and originally had no tower. The wooden west tower was added around 1815; the building’s history is therefore also reflected in its different construction phases. Features of the church include leaded-glass windows dating from around 1920, depicting Martin Luther and Christ, as well as two galleries. Old wall paintings were uncovered during renovation work in 2002.

It is precisely this layering over time that makes the church an interesting counterpart to Varchentin’s later buildings: the original brick structure dates from the Middle Ages, while the tower, windows and uncovered paintings mark further chapters in its furnishings and preservation. During your visit, it is worth viewing these details as traces from different periods rather than judging the building only by its approximate year of construction.

Varchentin Castle and its historic details

Varchentin Castle was built in 1847 for the Hamburg merchant Jenisch in the English Tudor Gothic style. A large double-sided fireplace and an impressive wooden staircase have survived from the time of its construction. The castle park is also home to the Grote family mausoleum, built in 1895 and designed in the Neo-Renaissance style. Varchentin therefore brings together several distinct architectural styles: the medieval brickwork of the village church, the castle’s Tudor Gothic style and the mausoleum’s Neo-Renaissance style.

Varchentin Castle has not been renovated; it can only be viewed from the outside. Before your trip, check whether this visiting arrangement is still in effect. This will help you set realistic expectations for your visit to the castle while putting its surviving architectural details into context.

The park and lakes: another side of Varchentin

The landscape also offers a practical guide for planning your day. Lake Kleiner Varchentiner See and Lake Großer Varchentiner See lie in Varchentin’s lake-filled landscape and are surrounded by reed beds. You can walk around Lake Kleiner Varchentiner See in about an hour.

Varchentin Landscape Park was laid out according to plans by Peter Joseph Lenné dating from 1838. The park’s sightlines run between the manor house and Lake Großer Varchentiner See. The Lenné Park at Varchentin Castle stretches as far as Lake Varchentiner See. Together with the reed beds, this creates a landscape theme distinct from the individual architectural details: here, the focus is on park design, views and water.

A separate look at the wider destination of Groß Plasten

The wider destination of Groß Plasten also has its own architectural history. Groß Plasten village church was built in 1901 as a plastered, octagonal central-plan building in the Neo-Baroque style and was designed by Franz Schwechten. The church was built following a dispute over the shared use of the church in Klein Plasten. Unlike Varchentin’s brick church, built around 1250, the church in Groß Plasten offers a different architectural and historical point of comparison.

The landscape park at Groß Plasten Castle is home to rare trees; hiking trails run through the park, connecting Groß Plasten and Klein Plasten. For trip planning, the two places can therefore be seen as offering different themes: Varchentin with its village church, castle and lakes, and Groß Plasten with its own church and hiking trails through the local park.

Choose accommodation to match your travel interests

If architectural history is your priority, the village church, castle and mausoleum represent different eras and styles. If you would also like to spend time outdoors, the roughly one-hour walk around Lake Kleiner Varchentiner See offers a practical second focus.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Dratow-Schloen, Torgelow Am See, Neu Gaarz, Kargow, Vollrathsruhe, Peenehagen, Klink, Hohen Wangelin.

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