Neustrelitz: City History, Gardens and Water

Town Layout and Palace Garden

Neustrelitz was founded in 1733 as a late Baroque planned town. Its Baroque layout centres on a square market square, from which an eight-rayed street pattern radiates. This makes the town’s design itself a point of interest for your visit: in addition to individual buildings, the star-shaped layout also defines the townscape. If you are interested in local history, you can pay particular attention to the connection between the market square and the street plan.

The Neustrelitz Palace Garden has a different character. This landscaped garden combines romantic, secluded paths with sculptures and fountains. Its design provides an appealing contrast to the planned town’s clear geometric layout. If you would like to bring together different interests within your travel group, the town layout and the garden offer two distinct ways to experience Neustrelitz.

Churches, Museum and Theatre

Neustrelitz Palace Church is one of the most significant architectural monuments of the former Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and is also an important cultural venue in the town today. It is open from May to October and hosts exhibitions, concerts and readings. Another way to explore the region’s history is the permanent exhibition at the museum in Neustrelitz, which presents 300 years of the history of the state of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

The Neustrelitz State Theatre also brings together the present and the past. Its disciplines include music theatre and drama; its origins date back to the court theatre founded by the Dukes of Strelitz in the mid-18th century. Every summer, the Neustrelitz Palace Garden hosts festivals featuring lavish operettas in front of the Palace Church, attracting thousands of visitors. When planning your trip, it is therefore worth considering what you are most interested in: theatre history, exhibitions and cultural events each offer a different reason to discover Neustrelitz.

Water Routes, Cycle Routes and Wildlife Park

From Neustrelitz town harbour, visitors travelling by water can explore Müritz National Park and the Strelitz Lake District via the Upper Havel Waterway. Neustrelitz is also easily accessible via designated long-distance cycle routes and water routes. If getting out on the water or cycling is one of your travel interests, these routes may influence your choice of holiday focus.

Neustrelitz Wildlife Park has a 2.7-kilometre walking route passing 45 enclosures. The stated route length can help you fit a visit into your daily plans. The town church tower’s 45-metre-high viewing platform offers a view over the town. During the summer months, Neustrelitz Town Church is open for visits during the day.

Choosing the Right Focus for Your Stay

When looking for a holiday apartment in Neustrelitz, you can start by considering which aspect of the town you would like to shape your stay: its Baroque layout and history, gardens and culture, the wildlife park or water excursions from the town harbour. These experiences are quite different, but you do not have to limit yourself to just one.

If you would like to include other destinations in your search, you can also find Fürstensee here. Other destinations at the same level: Vielist, Amt Röbel-Müritz, Amt Neustrelitz-Land, Amt Mecklenburgische Kleinseenplatte, Amt Penzliner Land, Amt Friedland, Amt Stargarder Land.

For the overview of the wider region: Mecklenburg Lake District.