Neustadt (Dosse): Equestrian Tradition, Cross Church and Gasworks

Town of Horses and Stud-Farm Routes

For more than 200 years, Neustadt (Dosse) has been shaped by Germany’s largest stud-farm complex; the nickname “Town of Horses” is a fitting one. Equestrian tradition gives the town’s history a clear focus. If horses and stud-farm history are among the things that interest you on holiday, this is a distinctive aspect to consider when choosing where to stay.

Routes also connect with the stud farms: the Kleeblatt Cities Tour begins at the main stud farm in Neustadt (Dosse). The 160-kilometre Stud Farm Trail between the Redefin and Neustadt (Dosse) stud farms offers a different scale. Together with Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, it forms a supra-regional network of riding trails. A tour starting in town and a long-distance supra-regional riding route thus offer different perspectives on the stud-farm tradition.

The Cross Church and Industrial History

Completed in 1696, the Cross Church has an equilateral octagonal floor plan with four rectangular cross-arms. Its design illustrates the concept of a central-plan building: the floor plan is organised around a centre and connects it to the cross-arms. The church was the first ecclesiastical central-plan building in the Mark Brandenburg—a striking chapter in architectural history that differs from the town’s equestrian tradition.

The gasworks tell a different story. They are one of the last surviving witnesses to more than 150 years of gas production in Europe. The Cross Church and the gasworks thus represent different historical themes: ecclesiastical architecture on the one hand and European industrial history on the other. For your holiday planning, this offers a wider range of interests to consider if you would like to explore architecture and industrial history alongside the stud farm.

Landscapes in the wider destination of Ostprignitz-Ruppin

For a broader perspective on the landscape, it is worth considering Ostprignitz-Ruppin as a wider travel destination. The district is predominantly rural; its regional landscape is defined by open spaces and tranquillity, green beech and pine forests, meadows, shady avenues, and numerous lakes and rivers. The Ruppin Lake District is one of the district’s travel regions. The Stechlin-Ruppiner Land Nature Park lies partly within Ostprignitz-Ruppin and invites visitors to hike and cycle.

Regional routes also offer different highlights: the Ruppiner Land Circular Hiking Trail runs partly along the European long-distance hiking trail E10. The Fontane Cycle Route takes cyclists to places and landscapes described by Theodor Fontane in his work “Wanderings through the Mark Brandenburg”. The 15-metre-high Heide Tower on Heinz Sielmann Hill offers sweeping views over the varied landscape of Ostprignitz-Ruppin.

The Kyritz-Ruppiner Heide is a distinctive landscape within the wider destination of Ostprignitz-Ruppin. It covers 12,000 hectares within the district and has been part of the Stechlin-Ruppiner Land Nature Park since 2021. One of Europe’s largest contiguous Calluna-heathland areas, it provides a habitat for numerous protected and endangered animal species, including more than 70 bird species and, since 2008, wolves. The heath can be explored on electric-assist fat bikes along unpaved, often sandy paths, allowing visitors to experience its flora and fauna with care.

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Neustadt (Dosse), the town’s equestrian tradition, Cross Church and gasworks give it a clear cultural focus. For the rest of your holiday planning, you can also explore the landscapes and routes of the wider destination of Ostprignitz-Ruppin as regional highlights in their own right.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Langen, Breddin, Lindow, Rheinsberg, Kyritz, Berlinchen, Storbeck-Frankendorf, Märkisch Linden.

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Ostprignitz-Ruppin.