Schönhausen: Half-Timbered Houses, Manor House and Lake

Schönhausen combines half-timbered architecture and manor-house history with a setting shaped by meadows, woodland and a lake. The village church, manor house and manor park directly on the lake each add a distinct feature; a prison cellar also survives on Schlossberg. You can discover the place from several perspectives: through its buildings, its history and the landscape of the Brohmer Berge.

Half-timbered architecture and Baroque fittings

The village church in Schönhausen is a half-timbered building from the 18th century. A three-sided chancel extension adjoins it to the east; to the west stands a half-timbered tower with an octagonal upper storey and a cupola. The different forms at either end clearly articulate the building’s structure. Baroque fittings add another layer of design to the half-timbered construction. The church thus brings together several architectural details that are easy to distinguish: its construction, chancel, tower and fittings.

Schlossberg and the history of the manor house

A prison cellar, uncovered in 1925, survives on Schlossberg, a hill in Schönhausen Park. It belonged to the castle built by Joachim von Rieben in the first half of the 16th century. The history of Schönhausen Manor House also leads back to an earlier castle: Heinrich von Michael had the manor house built in 1842 on the remains of a castle that stood on a peninsula in the lake until the early 17th century.

Between lake, meadows and woodland

Schönhausen and Schönhausen Lake lie amid the expansive meadows and woodland of the Brohmer Berge. The manor park is directly on the lake. An old chestnut avenue leads from Schönhausen towards Matzdorf, adding another named feature to this landscape. Together, these offer different ways to explore the area: the park’s lakeside setting, the open meadows and woodland, and the avenue towards Matzdorf.

More nature experiences in the wider destination of the Mecklenburg Lake District

In the wider destination of the Mecklenburg Lake District, Müritz National Park offers a different kind of landscape. Woodlands, marshes, lakes and wide meadows define the park. Its hiking trail covers various landscape types and special features over nine stages: it passes lakes, winds through ancient woodlands, goes by inland dunes and reaches the source of the Havel. Certified nature and landscape guides offer informative tours there, including guided visits to the UNESCO World Heritage beech forest at Serrahn and tours from the water. A route through several types of landscape and guided nature experiences can thus appeal to different travel interests.

Another nature attraction is the Damerower Werder bison reserve. It lies on a peninsula in Lake Kölpin, in the Mecklenburg Lake District and Nossentiner/Schwinzer Heath Nature Park; visitors can observe animals there. The reserve also has a forest adventure trail with climbing opportunities, an anthill house, an exhibition with tactile and viewing panels, and a dendrophone. If you are planning a trip with children, specific interests can help guide your choice: Schönhausen focuses on architectural styles and traces of history, while the reserve offers animal watching and discoveries along its adventure trail.

Make Schönhausen the focus of your accommodation search

When choosing a destination, you can first consider whether you mainly want to explore Schönhausen’s village church, manor-house history and landscape, or include other nature experiences in the Mecklenburg Lake District. The options mentioned differ in character: local history and buildings on one hand, and hiking trails, guided tours or animal watching on the other.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Helpt, Groß Miltzow, Voigtsdorf, Mildenitz, Schönbeck, Kublank, Neetzka, Petersdorf.

Back to the main travel guide: Amt Woldegk.