Lake View: Church, Castle and Lakeside Trail

If you are looking for a hotel in Seeblick, exploring local attractions can help you plan your stay around your interests. In Hohennauen, an early-mentioned castle, a village church with a Romanesque predecessor and a complex castle history sit alongside the 23.2-kilometre lakeside trail and a designated bathing area on Lake Hohennauen. This brings together historical architecture and furnishings with waterside attractions. You can decide whether historical landmarks or the trail and bathing area are more important for your trip.

Castle, Village Church and Palace in Hohennauen

Hohennauen Castle was first mentioned in 1386 and had already secured the Rhinow region to the south from the late 12th century. The first mention and its earlier defensive function are therefore distinct chronological markers in the history of the area. The village church also points to an early construction phase: its brick west tower dates back to a Romanesque predecessor from the mid-13th century. As a defensive tower, it has loopholes.

Alongside this older architectural history, later furnishings also draw attention in the village church. Beneath the patron's gallery is the splendid sandstone sarcophagus of Katharina Hedwig von der Hagen, dating from around 1769. Coats of arms and inscriptions are part of its design. Several 18th-century paintings adorn the church interior. The different dates of construction and furnishings make the church a place with several historical layers.

The history of the palace follows that of the castle, but represents a distinct later construction phase: after the castle had fallen completely into ruin following the Thirty Years' War, a half-timbered palace was built on its foundations around 1700. It was extensively remodelled in 1778 under Hans Ehrenreich von Bornstedt and later partly plastered. In 1928, the building was substantially altered and a central avant-corps was added. An avant-corps is the central part of a building that projects from the façade. These dates provide a chronological overview of changes to the palace without conflating the castle with the later palace phases.

Lakeside Trail and Bathing Area

The Hohennauen-Ferchesar Lakeside Trail starts and ends at the village green in the Hohennauen district of the municipality of Seeblick and is 23.2 kilometres long. From Hohennauen, it crosses the canal bridge. The route is marked with a red bar on a white background and the word “Seerundweg” (lakeside trail) to help with navigation. The distance, start and end points, and trail markers help put the route information in context; check local conditions before setting off.

The Hohennauen bathing area is on Lake Hohennauen and is a designated EU bathing water site. Its bathing water quality is rated excellent and is checked regularly. As water quality can change, it is advisable to check the latest information before swimming.

In the broader Havelland destination

The broader Havelland destination also offers distinctive landscape and nature attractions. On the southern shore of Lake Gülper, a roughly 1.5-kilometre-long nature trail with illustrated information boards invites visitors to watch birds. During spring and autumn migration, up to 100,000 geese and hundreds of cranes gather there, along with numerous waders, ducks and grey herons. The nature trail and seasonal wildlife provide this part of the Havelland with its own distinct appeal.

For cycling trips in the Havelland, the numbered junction signposting helps you plan your own routes. The Havelland Cycle Route runs through the Havelländisches Luch via Nauen, Ribbeck and Rathenow to the Westhavelland Nature and Star Park. It is mostly paved, flat and pleasant to ride. These details describe the cycle route in the broader Havelland destination; they complement the specific information about the lakeside trail in Hohennauen without suggesting a connection between the routes.

Other cultural destinations in the Havelland offer their own highlights: the Westhavelland Nature Park Centre brings the lowland landscape, the renaturalisation of the Lower Havel, Germany’s last great bustards and Germany’s first Star Park to life for visitors of all ages. The Lilienthal Centre Stölln features an exhibition about Lilienthal that is significant beyond the region. The Lilienthal Trail connects the centre with the IL 62 “Lady Agnes” at the foot of the Gollenberg.

Discover more destinations: Märkisch Luch, Börnicke, Ketzin, Gollenberg, Semlin, Milower Land, Brieselang, Stechow-Ferchesar

Go to the overview of the broader destination: Havelland.