Prenzlau: City Wall, Monastery and Brick Gothic

Prenzlau brings together medieval buildings, paths along the city wall and Lake Unteruckersee near Prenzlau.

City fortifications and circular trail

Prenzlau’s fortifications comprise a city wall, Wiekhäuser, wall towers, gate towers and remains of the ramparts. The different elements show how the fortifications are made up. If you would like to explore the complex beyond a single building, you can follow the 2.6-kilometre circular trail. It runs along the largely preserved and fully restored historic city wall, partly inside and partly outside the city, and passes Weinberg and the city park.

The route connects several perspectives on Prenzlau, so you don’t have to limit yourself to a single viewpoint. If you plan to walk it, check current trail conditions in advance.

Monastery, church and city history

The Dominican Monastery in Prenzlau is one of the best-preserved medieval monastic complexes in northern Germany. At the museum in the Dominican Monastery, you can see a remarkable collection of medieval objects, with a focus on religious sculptures. A visit therefore combines exploring the monastery complex with viewing works of art from the Middle Ages.

St. Mary’s Church also shapes Prenzlau’s historic and architectural character: the church is considered the first hall church in northern Germany and one of the most important examples of northern German Brick Gothic architecture from the 13th and 14th centuries. This distinction makes St. Mary’s a point of interest in its own right alongside the monastery complex. Both places offer a way to explore different aspects of the city’s architectural history.

If you prefer to explore the city’s history on a guided tour, local guides take interested visitors on a walk through almost 800 years of the city’s history. Dates and booking arrangements may change, so check them in advance. The Dominican Monastery also hosts events throughout the year in a range of genres, including theatre, concerts, cabaret, children’s entertainment and readings.

City trails and Lake Unteruckersee

The Prenzlau Tree Trail invites you to discover exotic and native trees and see the city from a different perspective. It complements the circular trail along the city wall with its own focus: here, trees and views of Prenzlau take centre stage. The Berlin–Usedom long-distance cycle route, which passes through Prenzlau, is also of interest to cycle tourists. Before setting out, check the current route and conditions.

Prenzlau’s lido is located right on Lake Unteruckersee. The lake near Prenzlau is a designated landscape conservation area, is home to a wide variety of rare flora and fauna, and is an important resting and breeding site for waterbirds. At the same time, it is a recreational area for residents and visitors to the city. Prenzlau thus offers both urban trails and lakeside scenery as different themes to consider when planning your trip.

The Uckermark as a regional setting

Beyond local attractions, the Uckermark offers a distinctive landscape setting. Uckermark Lakes Nature Park lies in the water-rich, gently rolling Uckermark region and includes clear-water lakes, kettle holes and marshes. The nature park has more than 150 kilometres of water trails and over 600 kilometres of signposted hiking trails. These can offer an additional perspective on the region as you plan the rest of your trip.

Discover more destinations: Uckerfelde, Oder-Welse, Neuhof, Brüssow, Randowtal, Passow, Mittenwalde, Wolfshagen

Back to the regional travel overview: Uckermark.