Zarnewanz: Manor Houses, Paths and Countryside

Zarnewanz combines a long history with a distinctive type of house that continues to shape the village, as well as hiking trails and protected landscapes. The municipality was first mentioned in official records in 1268. Even today, the type of house known as the Winkelhof, developed in the late 1920s, plays a major role in shaping the village’s appearance. Visitors choosing a holiday destination for its cultural and natural attractions will find historical traces in the village and opportunities to connect with nature in the hiking area and the wider region.

Manor Houses and Local History

Zarnewanz Manor House was built around 1850. It is centrally located in the village next to an adjoining park and is privately owned. The house’s history also includes a later use: a chapel was established in the former dining hall, and was consecrated in 1931 by Heinrich Behm, the regional superintendent from Bad Doberan. Along with the year it was built, these details offer insight into the changing history of a building in the village.

Stormstorf, a district of Zarnewanz, also has its own manor house history. Stormstorf Manor House was built in 1871. The manor complex in Stormstorf, including the manor house and park, is listed in the district’s register of historic monuments. This allows two distinct manor house sites in the municipality to be placed in context: Zarnewanz Manor House, built around 1850, and Stormstorf Manor House, dating from 1871. For families who would like to discover historical details together, the buildings’ history and the development of the house style provide specific topics through which to explore local history.

Another chapter in the region’s history is connected with the beet railway. When the Tessin sugar factory was built, the 65-kilometre beet railway was also put into operation in 1895–1896. The Tessin Narrow-Gauge Railway Company connected, among other places, Zarnewanz and Gnewitz. Traces of the former Tessin railway can still be seen in many places across the wider region; information boards recall its route and history.

Countryside and Trails

The landscape can also be viewed from different geographical perspectives. Parts of the municipality of Zarnewanz lie within the Reppeliner Bachtal Nature Reserve. The 115-hectare Stormstorfer Bachtal Landscape Protection Area is bounded by Stormstorf to the north. Across the wider region, the entire Recknitz catchment area is a habitat for many rare and endangered animal and plant species. This natural environment is highlighted in the visitor information for the Zarnewanz hiking area.

A hiking trail leads from Zarnewanz through Gnewitz and Stubbendorf to Ehmkendorf, through the Recknitz Valley. In addition, signposted trails in the Zarnewanz hiking area follow an old beet railway route. Hikes can therefore take in both the landscape of the Recknitz Valley and the history of the former railway. When planning your trip, you can consider whether you are more interested in the route through the valley, the historical railway traces, or both.

Cycle paths are also part of the village’s history: in June 2000, a cycle path was completed within the village of Zarnewanz, running alongside the L 18. This detail adds a specific, dated reference to cycling alongside the hiking trails; it describes the completion of construction at that time.

Choose Your Focus

If you are considering Zarnewanz as a holiday destination, you can make your choice based on what you would like to focus on during your trip. The manor houses, the chapel in the former dining hall and the Winkelhof shape the village’s cultural and historical character. Hiking trails, protected areas and the Recknitz catchment area offer a different way to explore the region. Families travelling with children can treat both as different opportunities for discovery and conversation: the history of the buildings and railway, as well as the landscape and its animal and plant life.

More places to discover: Selpin, Thelkow, Grammow and Nustrow.

For the broader travel overview: Amt Tessin.

More Destinations

More places within the same destination:

Grammow.