Schönwalde: Village History, Nature and Landscape

Schönwalde is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district and is predominantly agricultural in character. Dargitz’s lime-tree avenue is a striking local landmark. Village churches, traces of a medieval fortification and a protected area offer further cultural-historical and nature-focused perspectives.

Village history with distinctive details

Dargitz Church is a medieval village church with a Baroque altar; its rich frescoes date from the 14th and 15th centuries. Stolzenburg Church houses an 18th-century baptismal angel. Remains of a medieval Slavic fortification lie on Schloßberg. The church art and archaeological traces represent different historical aspects of the region. Dargitz’s lime-tree avenue adds a distinctive landscape feature to these attractions.

Observe nature and check local conditions

The Darschkower See protected area is a refuge for numerous breeding birds and rare insect species. Its species include 35 day-flying butterfly species and 3 burnet moth species; this number may change with future surveys. An approximately 3-kilometre-long esker ridge begins east of Schönwalde and ends at Schloßberg. You can view the protected area from the adjacent western field path; check local access conditions before visiting.

Swimming is concentrated at a small lake’s bathing area on its southwestern shore. Check current bathing conditions on site. Fishing in the protected area is restricted under its conservation rules because of sensitive breeding bird populations; check the regulations before fishing. Nature watching, swimming and fishing therefore differ not only in the experience they offer, but also in the conditions that need to be observed for each activity.

Cycling on a variety of routes

The Berlin–Usedom long-distance cycle route passes through the Vorpommern-Greifswald district and connects Berlin and Usedom. Meadows, forests, wildlife, lakes, rivers and historic places with old churches shape the route’s landscape. Another type of route is the 205-kilometre Brohmer Berge and Randow Valley Circular Route: it starts in Pasewalk and can be cycled in stages over four days. It passes through villages, meadows and forests before reaching Torgelow and the Ueckermünde Heath. In the Brohmer and Helpter Berge cycling area, other routes wind through gentle hills, quiet forests, broad meadows, streams, marshy hollows and lakes. Before setting out, it is advisable to check trail conditions and signage.

In the broader travel destination of Vorpommern-Greifswald

Beyond Schönwalde, the broader travel destination of Vorpommern-Greifswald offers further cultural attractions. The Pomeranian State Museum in Greifswald displays the Croy Tapestry of 1554, a unique cultural-historical artefact from the Reformation era. In Anklam, the Otto Lilienthal Museum, a biographical museum of technology, is devoted to the aviation pioneer, mechanical engineer and humanist Otto Lilienthal. These examples broaden the view of the district’s history and culture without replacing Schönwalde’s local attractions.

Choose accommodation to match your travel priorities

When choosing accommodation, you can first decide whether your stay will focus primarily on Schönwalde’s local nature and culture or on the wider variety of attractions across the district.

Discover more destinations: Zerrenthin, Viereck, Nieden, Brietzig, Groß Luckow, Jatznick, Fahrenwalde, Krugsdorf

View the broader travel overview: Amt Uecker-Randow-Tal.