Discover Prignitz: Elbe, nature and culture

River landscapes and trails

The Brandenburg section of the cross-state “Elbe River Landscape – Brandenburg” Biosphere Reserve covers around 53,000 hectares and lies almost entirely within the district of Prignitz. There are various ways to explore the floodplain landscape. The 14-kilometre Auenwildnis circular hiking trail passes through alluvial forests in the dike relocation area and takes you alongside a diverse bird population that includes rare waterbirds. Its length and natural setting give the trail a distinctive character for anyone planning to explore on foot.

For cycling holidays, Prignitz has 1,100 kilometres of designated cycle routes and 17 recommended cycling tours. These are designed around regional attractions and the area’s special features. One is the 45-kilometre cross-state BiberBurgenTour, with 32 stops in the Elbe River Landscape Biosphere Reserve. The 410-kilometre Elbe-Müritz circular route, which connects rivers and lakes, also passes the church in Blüthen. It is a cycle-friendly church.

On the water and in nature

Those who want to experience the Elbe from the water can take wildlife-watching tours in the biosphere reserve, aimed at experienced paddlers. The BUND Visitor Centre at Burg Lenzen also offers guided canoe tours on the Löcknitz for families, adults and school classes. These combine nature experiences with environmental education. Boat trips on passenger vessels are also available on lakes and on the Havel and Elbe; Prignitz also has swimming waters.

Another way to experience nature and culture is to visit Rühstädt: the NABU Visitor Centre presents “Weltenbummler Adebar,” an exhibition about the white stork, and offers a live broadcast of stork chicks being fed. The programme also includes project days for school classes, holiday programmes, village tours and themed events for different age groups.

History in churches, castles and museums

The late Gothic hall church of St. Nikolai stands in Bad Wilsnack, a medieval pilgrimage town. It is widely known as the Wunderblutkirche, or Church of the Holy Blood. Inside are a wooden Wunderblut shrine from the 15th century with painted wing doors, as well as medieval stained glass considered Brandenburg’s most significant collection of its kind. Another historic stop is Plattenburg: it is the only surviving moated castle in northern Germany and gave the municipality its name. The Berlin-Wilsnack pilgrimage route passes through Plattenburg, and the Bischofstour also stops there.

In Wittenberge, the “Alte Burg” town museum traces the town’s development from a small farming community to an industrial town. This includes the production of Singer and Veritas sewing machines and the transition from wartime to the GDR. The 13th-century Steintor houses an exhibition about its former use as a prison, the Roaring Twenties and the Elbe in Wittenberge. An exhibition at Meyenburg Castle Museum explores the history of Prignitz in the 20th century, with the life of a local resident as its central thread. Founded in 1905, the Perleberg Town and Regional Museum presents the cultural history of the town and western Prignitz, covering the main areas from the Stone Age onwards.

Blüthen also offers various insights into the past: the rectory museum uses the parish archive, with collections dating back to the 17th century, and the estate of Karl and Gerlinde Groß to convey what life was once like in a Protestant rectory. The Prignitz Village Museum displays an old classroom and products of traditional crafts. In Seddin, the prehistoric monuments visible above ground have particular value for demonstration, observation and visitor experiences.

Choose your holiday focus and accommodation

The examples range from river landscapes and cycle routes to local history, churches and rural life. If you are looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can choose where to stay based on the excursions that matter most to you. For groups of 8 or more, the Westprignitz Ostrich Farm offers tours by telephone appointment, which also include a tasting of ostrich sausage.

More places in Prignitz: Halenbeck-Rohlsdorf, Lanz, Berge, Lenzerwische, Weisen, Wootz, Perleberg, Rühstädt, Bad Wilsnack, Pritzwalk, Lenzen, Eldenburg, Mansfeld, Marienfließ, Gumtow, Plattenburg, Gerdshagen, Groß Pankow, Wittenberge, Bad Wilsnack/Weisen and Meyenburg.

For the broader travel overview: Brandenburg.