Discover Schönbeck

Schönbeck combines the landscape of the Brohmer and Helpter Hills with a distinctive village church and a rich local history. The Mühlenbach flows through the village: it was culverted in the early 1970s and later restored to a natural state.

Village Church and Wilhelm Sauer

Schönbeck’s village church is an early Gothic rectangular building from the second half of the 13th century. Its history therefore reaches far back before the lifetime of organ builder Wilhelm Sauer, who was born in Schönbeck in 1831. A memorial plaque near the church marks the site of his birthplace. Sauer lived in Schönbeck until 1838, so the village’s history can also be explored through his early years.

Sauer is also associated with the organ in the village church. It was donated to him in 1910 as his final work in his birthplace of Schönbeck and rebuilt in 2005. The time elapsed between the medieval church’s construction, Sauer’s birth and the organ’s reconstruction brings different chapters of Schönbeck’s history into view. For a stay focused on regional cultural history, the church, organ and memorial plaque offer tangible points of interest, while the village’s history extends beyond any single period.

Landscape, Stream and Nature Reserve

Schönbeck is nestled in the landscape of the Brohmer and Helpter Hills. The Mühlenbach is also part of the village’s history: after being culverted in the early 1970s, it was later restored to a natural state. For travellers interested in how a place and its landscape have changed, this offers a specific historical change to consider alongside the surrounding hills.

The Eichhorst nature reserve lies in Schönbecker Wald, in the southwest of the municipality. Schönbeck also has two artesian wells: one by the former rectory and another about 800 metres to its northwest. When choosing your accommodation, you can consider whether you would like to connect your visit to Schönbeck primarily with the village’s history or with the municipality’s landscape.

Rattey: Manor House, Wine and Regional Products

The municipality also offers cultural history and culinary interests. The manor house in Rattey was built by Hans-Christoph von Oertzen in 1806; the landscaped park was created at the same time. Wine is grown in the park, and the area is described as Germany’s northernmost wine-growing region. At Rattey Castle, the “Alte Kellerei” farm shop invites you to sample, shop and linger. It offers wines, liqueurs and spirits from Rattey, as well as “Brohmer Landbräu” beers.

Other historic buildings in the municipality include Charlottenhof Manor: the previously unnamed estate was named after Charlotte von Oertzen in 1826. The church in Rattey has an organ built by Carl August Buchholz in 1836. It has seven stops on one manual and a pedal. If you are interested in architectural and organ history, you can explore these sites as distinct aspects of the municipality alongside Schönbeck’s village church.

Cycling Tour and Getting There

A 40-kilometre circular route through the Helpter Hills is suitable for cyclists. Schönbeck is the first and last stop on the route. The distance is a useful reference for planning your day; it does not indicate how long the route takes or how difficult it is. If you would rather plan your trip around a cycling tour, you can take this route into account when choosing where to stay.

To reach the Brohmer Hills via the B 96, take the Woldegk exit and travel through Schönbeck, Brohm and Friedland. This also places Schönbeck along this approach route. Whether you would like to focus on the church and Sauer’s local history, the landscape or the cycling tour can help guide your choice of a holiday apartment in Schönbeck.

Discover more places: Mildenitz, Helpt, Woldegk, Voigtsdorf, Schönhausen, Petersdorf, Kublank and Neetzka.

For the broader travel overview: Amt Woldegk.