Chorin: Monastery, Culture and Amtssee Lake
Accommodation in Chorin
When planning a stay in Chorin, two themes stand out: Chorin Monastery, with its history, art and music, and Amtssee Lake, which is designated as a bathing area. Travel, duration and themes provide practical guidance.
Getting to Chorin Monastery
The RE3 train line provides direct connections to Chorin station from Berlin Central Station, Potsdamer Platz and Gesundbrunnen, as well as from the direction of AngermĂĽnde. From the station, a signposted footpath leads to Chorin Monastery in about 25 minutes. This makes it possible to plan your train journey along with a specific timeframe for the walk to the monastery.
Monastery history, exhibition and music
Chorin Cistercian Monastery was founded in 1273. The permanent exhibition covers the construction of the brick monastery and the medieval monastic economy in the context of regional history, up to the monastery’s dissolution in 1542. The exhibition thus combines architectural and economic history within a clear historical timeframe; its presentation may change. In the wider Barnim travel destination, Chorin Monastery is a key example of North German Brick Gothic.
Later uses of the monastery are also among the town’s cultural themes. Contemporary art is presented in the infirmary, the monks’ former hospital and guesthouse. The specific exhibitions on display may change. Since 1992, annual chamber music concerts have been held in the chapel at Chorin Monastery. The musical range extends from sacred and secular medieval music to modern works; individual programmes vary.
Park tour and time at Amtssee Lake
The park tour lasts about 90 minutes. It passes through the grounds, along the remains of the former monastery mill, by the west façade of the monastery and onward along the Nettelgraben to Amtssee Lake; it ends at the cemetery. The roughly 90 minutes refer to the tour, not to the approximately 25-minute walk from the station to the monastery. Check the tour’s booking arrangements in advance, as they may change.
Swimming is permitted in Amtssee Lake, which is designated as a bathing area in Chorin. Its maximum depth is 6.5 metres. If you plan to spend time by the water, check the current conditions on site before swimming. This lets you include the lake as a focus in its own right alongside your monastery visit.
Chorin in the wider Barnim travel destination
The wider Barnim travel destination offers additional regional themes. The cycling network in Barnim district has a total length of 610 kilometres. As route infrastructure may change, it is advisable to check the current route before setting out on a specific trip. The Ice Age Geopark on the edge of the Oder region stretches across the Uckermark and Barnim districts in northeastern Brandenburg. Barnim is also home to the Niederfinow Boat Lift, Germany’s oldest working boat lift. These examples complement Chorin’s monastery history, culture and Amtssee Lake with regional insights into cycling, the geopark and the history of technology.
Discover more travel destinations: Serwest, AlthĂĽttendorf, Panketal, Lunow-Stolzenhagen, Wandlitz, Hohenfinow, Friedrichswalde, Werneuchen.
Go to the wider travel overview: Barnim.
