Fürstenberg/Havel: Waterways and City History

By Canoe Around the Old Town

The Gänse, Priester and Schul Havel rivers are navigable along their entire lengths thanks to the Fish Canoe Pass. The easy circular canoe tour around the Old Town is a 2.3-kilometre loop and takes about an hour. This clearly defined water route passes through the Old Town and links several branches of the Havel into a circuit.

The Fish Canoe Pass is 50 metres long, making it the largest fish canoe pass in Brandenburg, and overcomes a height difference of 1.60 metres. If you would rather explore the area with a guide, you can choose between town tours through historic streets and nature tours to the surrounding lakes and forests. For dates and bookings for guided tours, contact the Tourist Information Office.

Town History and Remembrance

The Fürstenberg/Havel Local History Exhibition at Markt 5 offers insights into the town’s development over the centuries through audio recordings, maps and objects from its history. A replica of the Fürstenberg Gold Treasure is also on display there. The treasure was found in 2008 during construction work on Brandenburger Straße, near the castle.

The Old Castle was once a moated castle and is the oldest building in the town, with parts of it still preserved. Another historical feature is the railway ferry: it was lifted out of the water in 2013 on behalf of the town and treated with anti-corrosion protection. It has been on land ever since and can be viewed up close. Before visiting, check whether its status has changed.

The Ravensbrück Memorial and Educational Site is an open educational centre on the shore of Lake Schwedt, in the former village of Ravensbrück. Its permanent exhibition, “The Ravensbrück Women’s Concentration Camp – History and Remembrance”, explores the history and aftermath of the Ravensbrück women’s concentration camp during the Nazi era. For up-to-date visit planning, please check the memorial site’s visitor information.

Oberhavel in the Wider Travel Context

Fürstenberg/Havel is part of the wider travel destination of Oberhavel, which is part of the Ruppiner Seenland tourism region. About 260 km² of the Uckermärkische Seen Nature Park lie in Oberhavel; the Fürstenberg municipal area is also among the areas that are partly within the nature park. The 66 Lakes Hiking Trail and the European Long-Distance Path E10 also cross the district.

Oranienburg also offers its own cultural attractions within the wider destination: Oranienburg Palace is the oldest Baroque palace in the Mark Brandenburg region. The palace museum displays 17th-century works of art, as well as a Silver Chamber and a Porcelain Chamber. The Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum in Oranienburg presents 13 smaller permanent exhibitions covering various aspects of the site’s history and also serves as a modern museum of contemporary history.

Choose the Right Focus for Your Accommodation

When looking for a holiday apartment in Fürstenberg/Havel, you can first consider which experiences you want to shape your stay: the circular canoe route offers a specific water-based activity lasting about an hour, while the exhibition, castle, memorial site and ferry offer different things to explore on land. If you plan to join a guided town or nature tour, check the dates with the Tourist Information Office.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Himmelpfort, Wesendorf, Mühlenbecker Land, Amalienfelde, Zehlendorf, Kremmen, Liebenberg and Gransee.

Back to the wider travel overview: Oberhavel.