Wittenberge: City History and the Elbe River Landscape

Wittenberge lies in the Elbe River landscape within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. From the Clock Tower, you can look out over the city and the biosphere reserve, bringing city history and the landscape into view from two perspectives. This means Wittenberge offers both historical themes and a connection to the Elbe River landscape to help you decide where to travel.

Prignitz as the broader setting

As the broader travel destination, Prignitz includes the Brandenburg section of the cross-state “Elbe River Landscape – Brandenburg” Biosphere Reserve, which covers around 53,000 hectares and is located almost entirely in the Prignitz district. This figure conveys the regional scale of the protected area; Wittenberge itself lies in the Elbe River landscape within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

City Museum and Stone Gate

The Stone Gate houses part of the permanent exhibition of the Wittenberge City Museum. Access to this part of the exhibition is limited to certain guided tours, special event days, or arrangements with the museum. So don’t plan your visit as if this exhibition were accessible at all times; check in advance which of these visiting options is available for your chosen date. The City Museum itself traces the development from a small farming town to an industrial city across two floors. The history of the city also includes the production of Singer and Veritas sewing machines, which was formative for Wittenberge. The Stone Gate itself dates back to the 13th century.

Clock Tower: History and Panoramic Views

Across six floors, the Clock Tower presents the eventful history of the tower, the sewing machine factory, and Wittenberge’s urban development. The climb involves 192 steps; from the top, there are panoramic views over Wittenberge and the Elbe River Landscape Biosphere Reserve. Check the tower’s current opening status before visiting.

The historical focus of the City Museum differs from that of the Clock Tower: the museum shows the transformation from a small farming town to an industrial city and covers sewing machine production. The Clock Tower adds the history of the tower and the sewing machine factory to this perspective. This makes it possible to distinguish the city’s development from the history of individual industrial sites.

A Historic Roundhouse

Today’s Historic Roundhouse in Wittenberge is a circular locomotive shed built in 1889. Its construction date provides a specific historical point of reference alongside the themes of urban development and sewing machine production.

Activities in Wittenberge

The climbing tower at the Old Oil Mill in Wittenberge has two courses and an outdoor slide. If you plan to include this activity, ask the operator about current access and participation requirements. Another activity option is the approximately 10-meter-deep indoor diving tower, which offers introductory dives, children’s diving, and diving certification courses. The activities are clearly different: climbing courses and an outdoor slide on the one hand, and diving in an indoor tower on the other. This distinction can help you choose Wittenberge based on your interests.

Discover more destinations: Marienfließ, Gerdshagen, Lenzerwische, Rühstädt, Bad Wilsnack, Meyenburg, Mansfeld, Groß Pankow

See the broader travel overview: Prignitz.