Tantow: Damitzow Lake, Castle Island and Churches

Tantow brings together Damitzow Lake, the castle island in Damitzow and a range of church histories. If you would like to combine natural sites and historic buildings in one trip, clear geographical references can help with planning: the nature and leisure trail and the bathing spot are associated with Damitzow Lake; the manor park and twin oak are on an island in Castle Lake.

Train station and local orientation

Tantow station is on the Berlin–Stettin railway line. Following its renovation in 2019, it had 35 paved parking spaces for cars and 24 bicycle parking spaces. Check current availability if you depend on a particular capacity when arriving.

Damitzow Lake also brings together several local themes. A nature and leisure trail was created around the lake in 1992. If you are planning to visit it today, check access in advance. There is also a popular bathing spot at the lake. When planning, you can therefore distinguish between spending time by the water and an interest in the history of the trail, without treating the two details as a single offering.

An information board in the car park in Damitzow provides information about sights along the walk around the lake and on Castle Island. It offers guidance on two different points of interest: the lakeside area and the island in Castle Lake.

Castle Island and the landscape in Damitzow

The Damitzow manor park is on an island in Castle Lake. A twin oak, described as the oldest in the Uckermark, also stands on Castle Island. It is estimated to be 400 years old, and its trunk has a diameter of 2.40 metres. The age is an estimate, while the diameter is a specific measurement. Together, the park and the tree make Castle Island a distinct point of interest among the local landscape attractions.

Churches and manor house

Damitzow has a church with a cemetery, as well as a manor house. At its core, the church is a medieval fieldstone building dating from the 13th century. The church in Tantow itself has its own historical record: in 1373, it belonged to St Stephen’s Church in Gartz as a “Filia”. The restored church in Tantow was inaugurated in 2000. This makes it possible to distinguish between the building history of the Damitzow church and the recorded stages in Tantow’s church history.

For visitors, this means that the church in Damitzow is described primarily by its medieval fieldstone core, while the historical connection to Gartz and the inauguration following its restoration are defining dates for Tantow. The manor house and cemetery add to Damitzow’s local landmarks. These buildings are separate places to visit and should not be confused with the manor park on Castle Island.

Cycling in the wider Uckermark travel region

On the return journey to Tantow, the Crane Cycle Tour follows a cycle path alongside the road. In the wider Uckermark travel region, parts of the route are car-free and run along the Oder-Neiße Cycle Route through Lower Oder Valley National Park. It is Germany’s only floodplain national park and a resting area for cranes. Observation towers and the Oder slopes along the Crane Cycle Tour offer opportunities for birdwatching. These details describe the wider route and the Uckermark, not additional landscape features within Tantow. When choosing what to explore, you can therefore distinguish between local attractions around the lake, Castle Island and the churches, and the regional cycling and birdwatching context.

Discover more destinations: Neuhof, Gerswalde, Zichow, Oberuckersee, Flieth-Stegelitz, Brüssow, Mittenwalde, Boitzenburger Land

Return to the main travel overview: Uckermark.