Sternberg Between the Old Town and the Lake District

Historic Town Center and Mühlentor

The entire historic town center, including the Mühlentor and ramparts, has been preserved. The medieval town wall once enclosed the old town. Of the original four town gates, only the Mühlentor, with its ascent and descent, remains today. This makes a striking piece of the town’s history tangible in a single structure: when walking through Sternberg, you encounter the old town’s former fortifications here, without needing a long list of individual sights.

St. Mary and St. Nicholas Church also shapes Sternberg’s historic character. It is a three-aisled hall church with a massive tower. Inside is a fresco by Fritz Greve depicting the last state parliament held outdoors at Sagsdorf Bridge on June 20, 1549. At this parliament, the Mecklenburg estates adopted the Reformation. The church also houses a Walcker organ, the only surviving one of three early European Walcker organs with high-pressure stops.

Discover the Town Church and Local History Museum

The 66-meter-high church tower can be climbed. Its 189 steps lead to a platform beneath the neo-Gothic spire, with views from there across the town of Sternberg and the surrounding lakes and forests. The climb connects a specific historic structure with a panorama of the town and landscape. It is a cultural outing and viewpoint in its own right for your trip, alongside activities by the water or in the countryside.

After extensive renovation, the Sternberg Local History Museum reopened on April 6, 2024. Its exhibition covers important periods in the town’s history and the way earlier generations lived. From 1310 to 1329, the former castle of the Mecklenburg prince Henry II, known as the Lion, stood at the museum site; an Augustinian monastery stood there from 1500 until the Reformation in 1549. Visitors can also view calcareous sandstone containing fossil inclusions at the museum. Group activities and guided tours can be arranged by appointment in advance.

Lake District, Nature Trail, and Sternberg Cake

On the edge of town, a nature trail runs for about 4.5 kilometers around Lake Luckow. Its information boards were developed and designed in 2006 as part of a student project by 12th-grade students at David-Frank-Gymnasium in Sternberg. The route can therefore be seen not only as a lakeside walk, but also as a way to learn from information created by a local school class. Sternberg Lake is one of Sternberg’s designated bathing areas. Visitors can enjoy a relaxing day on the lake in rowing boats and pedal boats.

Another feature of the wider region is the fossil seabed colloquially known as “Sternberg Cake.” It formed 26 to 25 million years ago during the Upper Oligocene of the Paleogene, in a warm tropical shallow sea known as the ancient North Sea. Storm surges and tidal currents deposited the dead shells and casings of marine animals in layers between relatively fossil-poor sand. The fauna of Sternberg rock comprises more than 620 species; the material has been the subject of over 130 scientific publications for approximately 300 years. At the local history museum, you can view calcareous sandstone containing fossil inclusions.

Which trip ideas suit your stay?

If nature and water are your main holiday interests when choosing a holiday apartment, consider the nature trail at Lake Luckow and the boating options on Sternberg Lake. For a stay focused more on cultural history, the historic town center, town church, and local history museum take center stage. The Sternberg Tourist Information Office provides a town map of Sternberg for download.

More places to discover: Hohen Pritz, Kobrow, Mustin, Blankenberg, Witzin, Weitendorf, Borkow, Langen Jarchow.

For the overarching travel overview: Amt Sternberger Seenlandschaft.