Berlinchen – Village History and Landscape

Berlinchen brings together landscape and village history as two themes to consider when choosing a travel destination. Meadows, pastures and marshland shape the surroundings of Berlinchen Lake; the village church, the traditional settlement layout and events organised by the village cultural association offer further points of interest. If you would like to consider both nature and local history during your stay, Berlinchen offers tangible ways to explore both interests.

Landscape and Paths

Berlinchen is near the Mecklenburg Lake District. Around Berlinchen Lake, meadows and pastures border the marshland. Wittstock Heath woodland is about two kilometres from Berlinchen and offers opportunities for walking and hiking. These provide different options when choosing a destination: getting out into the forest, or enjoying a lakeside setting whose landscape is shaped by meadows, pastures and marshland.

Village History and Events

The village church was built between 1852 and 1854. It contains an organ from the Neuruppin workshop of Albert Hollenbach; the instrument has nine stops and was dedicated in 1899. Berlinchen has Wendish origins. The original village layout was circular, and the settlement was built on a hill surrounded by marshes. The church tells the story of a single building, while the circular layout describes the historic design of the village as a whole.

Recurring events include fishing and harvest festivals organised by the village cultural association. They offer occasional glimpses into local cultural life. Individual dates may change; if you would like to plan your visit around one of the festivals, check the relevant date before travelling.

History in the Wider Destination of Wittstock/Dosse

In the wider destination of Wittstock/Dosse, a public guided tour of Wittstock’s historic old town is offered from May to October. The tour shares interesting facts and legends from the town’s history. If you are considering the tour as part of your itinerary, check the current dates in advance.

Wittstock’s town fortifications are 2,435 metres long in total: 1,999 metres are town wall, 264 metres are the administrative wall and 172 metres are the castle wall. Apart from a small fieldstone base in the north, the fortifications are built entirely of monastery-format bricks. The total length therefore combines three distinct sections of wall. The Ostprignitz Museum is also located in the Bishop’s Castle.

Construction of St Mary’s Church in Wittstock began in the 13th century; it is a landmark of the former bishop’s town. The tower of the three-aisled church is 68 metres high, and the Baroque tower offers sweeping views across the town and surrounding countryside. The interior includes an altarpiece made up of two carved altars, a Late Gothic sacrament shrine, a Baroque wooden baptismal font, a Madonna in a halo of rays, the Lütkemüller organ and the pulpit.

Discover more destinations: Zernitz-Lohm, Langen, Temnitztal, Wittstock/Dosse, Rheinsberg, Fehrbellin, Breddin, Storbeck-Frankendorf.

Back to the regional travel overview: Ostprignitz-Ruppin.