Discover Gallin: Chapel, Trails and Agriculture

Gallin combines the distinctive design of St. Anne’s Chapel with an agricultural setting and a cycling and hiking trail. This brings together different interests to consider when planning a trip: architecture and local tradition on the one hand, outdoor activity and agriculture on the other. These priorities can also help guide your choice of accommodation in Gallin.

St. Anne’s Chapel: Architecture and Tradition

St. Anne’s Chapel was built in 1687. The half-timbered building has a flat ceiling inside and an octagonal chancel. The chapel stands slightly elevated right beside the B 195 and is surrounded by a stone wall. A boarded roof turret with a shingle roof rises above the west gable. It houses a small medieval bronze bell that rings on church occasions.

The furnishings also reflect different styles: the chapel contains an altar decorated with wood carvings and the Wedemhof family coat of arms, a Baroque altar and a simple late Renaissance wooden pulpit. The altarpiece depicts the Crucifixion of Jesus. Following restoration and renovation in 1998/99, the interior was restored and has the feel of a rustic farmhouse parlour where visitors can linger.

Another local story is connected with Tsar Peter the Great: according to local tradition, he attended Mass in Gallin’s small chapel around the turn of the year 1712/1713. Old farmhouses are also listed among Gallin’s sights. Together, the chapel and these buildings give the village a distinct cultural and historical character without requiring a large ensemble.

Trail and Gut Gallin: Outdoor Activity and Agriculture

A cycling and hiking trail connects the sculpture park in Gallin with Hof Gallin. It has a water-bound sub-base and surface layer, and old varieties of fruit trees have been planted along the route. This means the same described trail brings together walking or cycling and a specific aspect of landscape design.

Gut Gallin is an agricultural business in the Schaalsee UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It farms a contiguous area of 1,000 hectares of arable land and grassland. Gut Gallin has practised organic farming since 1991, is a member of Bioland and BUND, and carries the “Schaalsee Biosphere Reserve” regional quality label. These facts give the agricultural character a tangible dimension and distinguish it from the chapel’s cultural and historical focus.

Gut Gallin includes an organic butcher’s shop, a farm shop and a farmhouse parlour. If you plan to visit the farm shop, check in advance whether it is currently open.

More to explore in the wider Ludwigslust-Parchim destination

In the wider Ludwigslust-Parchim destination, Ludwigslust Palace offers a distinct cultural and historical focus. It was the former residence of the dukes of Mecklenburg and forms an ensemble with the park and town that is known as the “Little Versailles of the North”. The palace stands at the centre of an almost completely preserved late Baroque town layout, with a former court church and an English-style landscape park. The palace presents art and courtly domestic culture from the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Zarrentin Abbey is also in the wider Ludwigslust-Parchim destination. The ground floor houses a permanent exhibition about the abbey; guided tours cover the history of the former Cistercian convent, the nuns’ lives and the building’s architecture. Check dates and access before your visit. The Kalkflachmoor near Zarrentin, a calcareous fen, is another point of interest and is part of the Schaalelauf nature reserve. Visitors can explore the fen from the nature trail.

Discover more destinations: Kogel, Zarrentin Am Schaalsee, Lüttow-Valluhn, Vellahn.

Go to the wider travel overview: Amt Zarrentin.