Steinhöfel – Palace Park, Architectural History and Hotels

If you appreciate historic garden design and architecture when choosing a destination, Steinhöfel has a clear focal point: its palace park, a cohesive village ensemble and a village church with traces of construction from several centuries. These themes give your stay a tangible point of reference, whether you are mainly interested in landscape design, architecture or culture.

Palace Park and Village Ensemble

Work on the palace park began around 1790. It covers more than 40 hectares and is one of the oldest and, in terms of size, most significant landscape parks in the Mark Brandenburg. It is also considered the first landscape garden in the Mark Brandenburg to be laid out in the English style. The park’s size and historical significance in garden design make it a defining feature when exploring Steinhöfel’s history.

From 1790 onward, the von Massow family had Steinhöfel Palace, together with the extensive park, the village green, the administrative building and several residential houses, laid out as a unified ensemble. The architects and master builders David and Friedrich Gilly were involved. The garden, buildings and village green therefore form part of a shared development from that period; the village’s history is not revealed through a single building alone.

Architectural History of the Village Church

Steinhöfel Village Church is a plastered fieldstone building whose parts date from different periods of construction. The choir was built in the second half of the 13th century. The nave and tower were added in the 14th and 15th centuries, respectively; the wooden structure dates from 1778. This sequence reveals the building’s long history without presenting its separate phases as if they all belonged to one period of construction.

Inside is an intricately painted patron’s box, which has since been restored. Balthasar Dietloff von Wulffen and Louise von Beerfelde commissioned it around 1720/30. The box adds a specific furnishing and a connection to the people who commissioned it to the architectural picture.

The library in the palace park also makes its own architectural statement: it is designed as a Greek temple and was built above the cellars and foundations of two older farm buildings. The temple form and older structural foundations come together in this building. Along with the village church, the library shows the different ways in which Steinhöfel’s architectural history has been shaped.

Routes and Culture in Your Travel Plans

The Oderbruchbahn Cycle Route passes through Steinhöfel, as does the Märkische Schlössertour. If you are planning a trip around named routes, these give you two different route connections to Steinhöfel. No information is provided here about the length or duration of these sections, so plan those details based on your specific route.

The LandKunstLeben Steinhöfel e. V. association is based in the neighboring former palace nursery and organizes art events and activities there with international participants. If an event date is important to your trip, check current listings in advance. In 2021, Steinhöfel Palace continued to be used as a hotel and as a venue for conferences, events, concerts, and local and regional celebrations. This time reference describes its use at that time; check current listings when planning a visit today.

Context Within Oder-Spree

The wider Oder-Spree destination also offers garden and cultural attractions that differ from those in Steinhöfel. The five-hectare Neuzelle Baroque Garden was restored according to original plans from the 1758 abbey atlas. Baroque avenues, water features and terraces define its garden design. This offers a point of comparison with the English landscape park in Steinhöfel without suggesting that the two gardens are alike.

Visiting the Village Church

Keys for visiting Steinhöfel Village Church are available from Brigitte Türk, Ulrich Voigt or Burkhard Schmidt. Arrange the key handover before you arrive so you can plan your visit accordingly. The church adds a specific interior space to the village’s architectural history, while the palace park, library and village green highlight other aspects of the ensemble.

Discover more destinations: Langewahl, Groß Lindow, Diensdorf-Radlow, Berkenbrück, Schöneiche Bei Berlin, Eisenhüttenstadt, Herzberg, Wulkow.

Back to the regional travel overview: Oder-Spree.