Vilmnitz: St. Mary Magdalene Church and Cultural History

Vilmnitz showcases its cultural heritage especially impressively at St. Mary Magdalene Church. The brick building combines late Romanesque and Gothic forms and preserves structural elements from several centuries. On a cultural trip, history becomes tangible here in a specific building: the church brings together different phases of construction rather than telling the story of a single period of origin.

Romanesque elements, crypt and organ

The oldest surviving parts include the Romanesque east choir and the sacristy. The nave was built in the mid-14th century and renovated in the 15th century. The church thus makes it possible to identify the Romanesque elements and the later nave as distinct stages in its construction history.

The furnishings also offer a range of historical perspectives. The accessible crypt is associated with the Putbus family and contains around 28 coffins. There are also four large sandstone epitaphs dating from 1600, a Baroque pulpit from 1708/09, and a restored historic Mehmel organ. Architecture, commemorative culture and music history thus come together in one building.

Weekly Thursday evening concerts have been held in the church during the summer months for more than 25 years. If you would like to plan a concert visit, check the current season's programme before your trip.

Cultural history in the wider destination of Putbus

Putbus offers another perspective on the destination's culture. The town was planned in 1810 as a purpose-built residential town around the palace of Prince Wilhelm Malte zu Putbus. The Neoclassical ensemble around the Circus includes whitewashed residential and commercial buildings. Together with St. Mary Magdalene Church, it creates an appealing contrast between the different architectural histories of Vilmnitz and Putbus.

Putbus Palace Park is an English landscape garden of around 75 hectares and is one of the most significant surviving park landscapes in northern Germany. The Marstall was built in the park between 1821 and 1824 to serve the princely family as a stable and coach house. Today it is used as a venue for the Rügen Festival; the programme may vary. The Palace Church was created in the late 19th century by converting a former spa hall in the park and was consecrated in 1892.

Other cultural attractions offer a variety of experiences: the Orangery in Putbus hosts changing exhibitions by the Rügen Cultural Foundation. The Rügen Puppet and Toy Museum displays dolls, toys, stuffed animals, tin soldiers, ships and model railways from three centuries. Putbus Theatre is a venue for Theater Vorpommern and the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival. Its repertoire includes drama, musical theatre, cabaret, children's performances, concerts and guest performances throughout the year; individual productions change.

Cycling tour or narrow-gauge railway

For a break outdoors, Putbus offers the easy Bodden Loop. The route is about 12 kilometres long, starts in Putbus, passes through Lauterbach and the Goor forest, and returns through the palace park. It is flat, family-friendly and offers views of the Rügischer Bodden. Check the route conditions before setting off.

The Rasender Roland offers another way to experience the region: this steam-powered narrow-gauge railway, with a track gauge of 750 mm, has been operating on Rügen since 1895. It connects Putbus with the Baltic seaside resorts of Binz, Sellin, Baabe and Göhren; the line has a total of 24.2 kilometres of track. As timetables vary by season, it is worth checking the timetable for your travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Neuendorf, Kasnevitz, Lonvitz, Güstelitz, Lauterbach, Pastitz, Groß-Stresow.

Back to the destination overview: Putbus.