Schwedt/Oder – Nature and Urban History

Schwedt/Oder brings together nature, industrial culture and urban history. When planning your trip, you can consider which aspect interests you most: the river meadow landscape of the Lower Oder Valley National Park, a walk to industrial sites, or the city’s museums and historic buildings. These interests can give your stay its own focus as you look for a hotel in Schwedt/Oder.

River Meadow Landscape and Nature Experiences

About 5,500 hectares of the Lower Oder Valley National Park lie within the territory of Schwedt/Oder. The national park protects a distinctive river meadow landscape with a rich variety of animal and plant life. It includes wetland habitats, meadows, riverine forests, hillside forests alongside the main river floodplain and dry grasslands. Nature experiences, environmentally friendly recreation close to nature and environmental education are among the park’s purposes.

Guided canoe tours through the national park’s river meadows start from Schwedt/Oder. If you would like to include this activity in your trip, check with current providers in advance. The Oder–Neisse Cycle Route passes Schwedt/Oder. This means there are a range of nature and landscape experiences alongside the attractions within the city.

Industrial History on Foot and Online

The “Schwedt in Motion” city walk takes visitors to 20 industrial sites. At each site, an on-site QR code lets you join or leave the walk. You can therefore start or end the tour at any of the locations listed. Check the QR codes before your visit.

A virtual version of the walk is also available to use permanently, without restrictions and free of charge. If you would like to learn about the city’s history in advance, this is another way to discover its industrial sites. Before your trip, check that digital access works as expected.

Museums and Historic Cityscapes

The Schwedt/Oder City Museum displays parts of its extensive collection on local and regional history on the ground floor. One focus is the city’s “Golden Age,” when a junior branch of the House of Hohenzollern resided at Schwedt Palace. Special exhibitions explore cultural history through a variety of subjects: art and theatre, religion and migration, crafts and the military, as well as industry and architecture. Talks, activity days, museum education projects and storytelling cafés round out the programme; check the dates before your visit.

The Schwedt/Oder Jewish Museum presents changing exhibitions and hosts talks. In the SEMINARhaus, the historic synagogue floor has been visible and open to the public since 2021. As access may vary, check before your visit. Together with the City Museum’s offerings, it provides different ways to explore the history and culture of Schwedt.

Historic buildings include the Berlischky Pavilion, a former French Reformed church commissioned by Berlischky and built in 1776–1777, and the Protestant parish church of St. Catherine. It is a cruciform fieldstone building dating from the second half of the 13th century. The Jewish ritual bath ensemble on Gartenstraße comprises a mikveh and a former temple attendant’s house.

Monplaisir Park lies in the northwest of Schwedt/Oder and was laid out around 1700 in the French style. It includes the former pleasure palace, the gardener’s and forester’s houses, and the pheasantry. The districts, too, contain traces of former estate complexes: Criewen Castle was the manor house of a former estate with a farmyard, a Lenné park, and a gardener’s house and tool shed. The listed Kunow estate complex comprises an administrator’s house, an estate park, a granary and a stable.

More Culture and Visitor Information

The Uckermärkische Bühnen Schwedt offer theatrical and musical productions, concerts, music theatre and cabaret. AquariUM Schwedt features swimming pools, a fun area with a giant waterslide, a sauna area and wellness facilities. Check current programmes, facilities and operating conditions before your visit.

In Schwedt/Oder, you can book classic city tours, themed tours and private tours; check availability in advance. River cruise ships call at the redesigned riverside promenade, but check separately for current sailings. Whether you focus on nature, industrial culture or historic buildings, these themes offer different ways to plan your stay in Schwedt/Oder.

Discover more destinations: Brüssow, Oder-Welse, Flieth-Stegelitz, Friedrichsthal, Zichow, Göritz, Mittenwalde, Mescherin.

Back to the main travel overview: Uckermark.