Marienfließ: Monastery, Heath and Spring Trail

Monastery history, sandy heaths and walking routes give you several concrete reasons to visit Marienfließ. The possibilities range from the history of the collegiate monastery to a trail through heathland and forest, as well as nature experiences in the monastery park. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus primarily on cultural heritage, landscape or outdoor activities.

Sandy heaths and routes through the landscape

In the Marienfließ Natura 2000 site, extensive areas of dry sandy grassland and dry sandy heath have developed on nutrient-poor sandy soils. These habitats give the landscape its distinctive character. If you are interested in different aspects of nature and landscape, you will find concrete examples here of how sandy soil and vegetation go hand in hand.

The Quellweg Monastery Trail begins and ends at the bridge behind the collegiate church on the Stepenitz. From there, it leads through heathland and forest to a quiet spring area. The area also features a named cycling route: the “Gänsetour” cycle route passes through Krempendorf, a district of the municipality of Marienfließ. This gives you two different options: a trail that starts and ends at the same bridge, and a cycle route through one of the municipality’s districts.

Monastery history and traces of the Prignitz

The Marienfließ collegiate monastery was built in 1231 by Johann Gans zu Putlitz and is the oldest Cistercian nunnery in the Prignitz. The Marienfließ collegiate church preserves the coats of arms and epitaphs of the Prignitz noble families. Its foundation story and surviving signs of family history also make it an interesting place for travelers who want to explore culture and regional history.

Another feature of the monastery grounds is Marienfließ Monastery Park. It extends across 3.5 hectares along the Stepenitz and is lined with trees designated as natural monuments. Benches invite you to linger, while the orchard offers nature experiences. The park, river and designated trees thus form a distinct focus alongside the historic collegiate monastery.

The Prignitz as a wider travel destination

Beyond Marienfließ, the wider Prignitz destination offers a variety of nature and landscape experiences. The Brandenburg section of the cross-state “Elbe River Landscape – Brandenburg” Biosphere Reserve covers about 53,000 hectares and lies almost entirely within the Prignitz district. For cyclists, the Prignitz has 1,100 kilometers of designated cycle routes, as well as 17 recommended cycling tours focused on regional sights and special features. Route network information may be updated, so it is worth checking the latest route details before planning your ride.

The cultural attractions also vary across the Prignitz. The Pritzwalk Museum Factory presents the history of industrialization in rural areas; visitors can get hands-on at the museum print shop and handweaving workshop. By contrast, the Burg Lenzen Visitor Center focuses on the natural and cultural history of the river landscape, floodplain ecology, flood protection and the biosphere reserve. The city of Lenzen’s 1,000-year history can also be experienced there from a cultural-historical perspective. These attractions broaden the range of themes to explore in the Prignitz without equating them with the sights in Marienfließ.

Which holiday apartment suits your travel plans?

When looking for a holiday apartment in Marienfließ, it helps to first decide what interests you during your stay: are you most interested in the monastery’s history and park, the Spring Trail through heathland and forest, or exploring nature and culture throughout the Prignitz? Then choose your accommodation based on your plans and the location that suits you best. This gives you a clear basis for your search while allowing your different outings to focus on different things.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Jännersdorf, Wittenberge, Wootz, Weisen, Bad Wilsnack, Eldenburg, Meyenburg and Rühstädt.

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Prignitz.