Schöneberg: Granary, Village Church and Views of the Floodplains

Schöneberg combines village architecture with opportunities to enjoy the surrounding landscape and trails. The change in use of the former Schöneberg church is particularly striking: it was converted into a granary and is now used, among other things, as a local history room. The church building, granary and local history room thus come together in a local story of adaptive reuse. For travellers interested in local history, this provides a tangible cultural point of interest alongside the region’s floodplains and trails.

Churches and the history of engineering

Another historical landmark is the village church (granary) in Schöneberg. It was originally a fieldstone church dating from the 13th century; in 1729, the ruins were converted into a grain store. The original church type and its later use as a granary mark different chapters in the history of the building. The Alt Galow pumping station offers another perspective on the built environment: the complex includes a residential building and two operational buildings with technical equipment. Schöneberg is therefore home to a range of architectural themes, from the conversion of a church building to a technical complex.

Views of the floodplains and trails near Stützkow

Schöneberg is close to the “Lower Oder Valley” National Park and the “Felchowsee” nature reserve. The Hohensaaten-Friedrichsthal waterway and the polder area beyond it are also nearby. In the surrounding area, an observation tower at the Stützkow ice watch house offers panoramic views of the Oder Valley. In Stützkow, the “Himmelsleiter” and “Richterberg” viewpoints look out over the floodplains. The climb to Richterberg rewards visitors with views of the floodplain landscape of the lower Oder Valley.

Stützkow is also a starting point for active days out: hiking trails begin there and lead to and along the “Lower Oder Valley” National Park. The Oder–Neisse Cycle Route, the Uckermark Circular Cycle Route, the Märkischer Landweg, a certified quality hiking trail, and the Auenblicke Trail, a circular route starting in Criewen, all pass through the village. This makes it possible to choose between different types of tours without treating them as the same route. Waterway travellers can moor along the riverbank in the Stützkow part of the municipality and from there take the long-distance Oder–Neisse Cycle Route. When planning a trip, you can therefore choose between viewpoints, hiking trails, cycle routes and the waterway.

Schwedt/Oder as a distinct regional context

Within the wider destination of Schwedt/Oder, around 5,500 hectares of the “Lower Oder Valley” National Park lie within Schwedt’s municipal area. The national park protects a distinctive floodplain landscape with a rich variety of animal and plant life, wetland habitats, meadows, floodplain forests, hillside forests along the river floodplain and dry grasslands. Its visitor offerings include nature experiences, environmentally friendly recreation close to nature and nature education. This regional perspective adds the broader landscape context to the specific viewpoints and trails near Stützkow.

Cultural attractions in Schwedt/Oder also form a distinct part of this regional context. The town museum displays parts of its extensive collection on local and regional history on the ground floor. One focus is the town’s “Golden Age”, when a branch of the Hohenzollern family resided at Schwedt Palace. Special exhibitions explore topics including art and theatre, religion and migration, crafts and the military, as well as industry and architecture. Talks, activity days, museum education projects and storytelling cafés complement the exhibitions; check the latest dates for these events.

At the SEMINARhaus of the Jewish Museum Schwedt/Oder, the historic synagogue floor has been visible and accessible to the public since 2021. The museum hosts changing exhibitions and offers talks. As access and programming may change, it is advisable to check the latest information before visiting.

Choose accommodation to suit your interests

When looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to plan your trip around the topics that matter most to you: Schöneberg’s church and granary history, viewpoints and trails near Stützkow, or the town and cultural history of the wider destination of Schwedt/Oder. If architectural history is your priority, explore Schöneberg’s own local landmarks; for views of the floodplains and routes, include Stützkow in your plans. This lets you choose where to stay based on the places you plan to discover.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Oder-Welse, Milmersdorf, Gartz, Mittenwalde, Casekow, Randowtal, Lychen, Friedrichsthal.

Back to the wider travel guide: Uckermark.