Boizenburg/Elbe: City of Tiles and Half-Timbered Houses

Boizenburg/Elbe is nicknamed the “City of Tiles”; tile murals can be discovered throughout the old town. There are also lovingly restored half-timbered houses from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as museums and an open-air exhibition that explore everything from design and architecture to local history, flooding and life on the Elbe.

Townscape and Architectural History

Half-timbered houses from the 18th and 19th centuries shape the look of the old town centre; the free-standing Baroque town hall is a distinctive feature of Boizenburg’s old town. As you explore, look out for the tile murals that can be found throughout the old town. This means that tile culture is part of the townscape as well as a subject in the collections. Another specific point of interest is the listed Bürgerhaus at Markt 1: since October 2005, the local history museum’s collections have been displayed there. The building is attributed to Georg Adolf Demmler, master builder of Schwerin Castle. The architecture of the town centre is thus complemented by the history of a named building.

Tiles in Changing Exhibitions

The First German Tile Museum Boizenburg e.V. displays thousands of tiles across 500 m² in changing exhibitions, covering Historicism, Art Nouveau and Art Deco. These styles offer different design perspectives on the subject. While tile murals are spread throughout the old town, the museum focuses on tiles and the different styles represented in its exhibitions.

Traces of Jewish Life

Jewish entrepreneurship, family life and religious life shaped Boizenburg’s town life until hatred and persecution during the Nazi era brought this life to a violent end. The local history museum offers a workshop and/or a town tour exploring the traces of Jewish life in Boizenburg/Elbe. This thematic approach turns the focus to personal stories and local history, alongside the architectural themes visible elsewhere in the townscape and collections.

Flooding, the Elbe and the Landscape

The EinFlussReich open-air exhibition on Elbberg in Boizenburg-Vier explores flooding and life on the Elbe. Its exhibits invite young researchers and explorers in particular to get involved. This makes EinFlussReich an interactive highlight alongside the exhibitions on tiles and local history.

The Elwkieker viewpoint near Boizenburg-Vier offers views across the Elbe and the floodplain, with some steep riverbank slopes and sandy heathland. Important for your visit: the observation tower and its forecourt are currently closed.

Culture in the wider Ludwigslust-Parchim destination

Another cultural perspective in the wider Ludwigslust-Parchim destination is offered by Ludwigslust Palace. It was the former residence of the Dukes of Mecklenburg and, together with its park and town, forms an ensemble known as the “Little Versailles of the North”. The palace stands at the heart of an almost completely preserved late Baroque town complex, with a former court church and an English-style landscape park. Visitors can also explore art and courtly domestic culture from the 18th and early 19th centuries. While tile murals, half-timbered houses and the free-standing Baroque town hall shape Boizenburg’s townscape, Ludwigslust focuses on the history of the residence and courtly domestic culture.

Discover more destinations: Amt Goldberg-Mildenitz, Lübtheen, Amt Plau Am See, Ludwigslust, Amt Banzkow, Amt Neustadt-Glewe, Amt Dömitz-Malliß, Hagenow.

Back to the wider travel overview: Ludwigslust-Parchim.