Raben Steinfeld between lakes and history

Raben Steinfeld lies between Lake Schwerin and Lake Pinnow. The landscape combines its setting between two lakes with protected nature and landscape areas, a historic castle park and distinctive geological features. When planning your stay, you can focus on different things: outdoor activities, the history of the castle and its park, or insights into the history of the Earth.

Trails through the protected landscape

Raben Steinfeld’s nature and landscape conservation areas can be explored via a well-developed network of hiking, cycling and riding trails. This gives you different ways to get active when planning your day: you can focus on hiking, cycling or horseback riding. You can decide which option suits your interests; each of the three activities offers a different perspective on the landscape.

The Görslower Ufer nature reserve offers a specific trail location: a hiking trail runs right along the shore. The area is a shoreline zone approximately 10 kilometres long on the eastern shore of Lake Schwerin’s Inner Lake. At Görslower Ufer, a cliff slope approximately 10 to 15 metres high also rises steeply. It was formed by deposits of soil sediments at the main ice-margin positions of the Weichselian glaciation. The shoreline zone thus combines a protected landscape with a vivid example of its geological formation.

Oaks and park history

The park adjoining Raben Steinfeld Castle includes 34 so-called “Raben Steinfeld Oaks.” The largest oak has a circumference of 7.40 metres. Together, the trees form an ensemble of 34 of the oldest oaks; they are between 300 and 650 years old and are designated as natural monuments. These details tell two different stories: the circumference singles out one tree, while the age and designation describe the ensemble as a whole.

The history of Raben Steinfeld Castle also has its own chronological milestones. At the end of the 19th century, it was converted into a grand ducal summer residence; later, it served as the widow’s residence of Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. In its location and sightlines, the castle is closely connected to the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Schwerin Residence Ensemble – Art of Historicism.” The landscaped park around the castle was laid out as early as 1851 by Theodor Klett, the grand ducal court gardener of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The castle’s history and the design of its gardens thus offer different but interconnected ways to explore the history of the place.

Discover geological features

The Raben Steinfeld erratic boulder garden displays 138 selected erratic boulders from the region. They are considered witnesses to the Weichselian glaciation and represent the diverse geology of Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea floor. The Geological Museum Raben Steinfeld focuses on a different geological subject: Sternberg rock, which is 30 million years old and also known colloquially as “Sternberg Cake.” The museum particularly highlights it as the most fossil-rich rock in northern Germany, with more than 520 species. The erratic boulders and Sternberg rock therefore draw attention to different geological examples: selected stones from the region on the one hand, and a fossil-rich rock with its own name on the other.

The history of the castle park and geology offer further topics to help you set your priorities for your stay.

Discover more destinations

Pinnow, Langen Brütz, Gneven, Dobin Am See, Leezen, Cambs

For the overview of the wider region: Amt Ostufer Schweriner See.