Behren-Lübchin: Fieldstone Church and Castle History

Behren-Lübchin is shaped by a fieldstone church and the history of a Slavic castle complex on the Großer See. The municipality also includes other historic sites and the landscape of the Trebel meadows.

Fieldstone Church and Castle History

The fieldstone church in Behren-Lübchin dates from the 13th century and is one of the oldest churches in northern Mecklenburg. Its imposing square west tower has an octagonal upper section and a Baroque cupola with a lantern. The church furnishings include an altar retable richly decorated with figures, dating from 1712. Even a small detail on the roof tells a story: the weather vane depicts a bear. The shape of the tower, its Baroque crown and the richly figured retable give the building a range of architectural accents.

The Slavic castle complex on the edge of the Großer See near Behren-Lübchin belongs to a different era. It was destroyed in 1141 by the Danish king Valdemar I and thoroughly investigated from 1954 to 1960. Parts of the complex, built of oak, have been reconstructed at approximately their original size at the Groß Raden Archaeological Open-Air Museum. The reconstruction is located in Groß Raden; the historic castle complex is associated with Behren-Lübchin. This makes it possible to distinguish the history of the site from its later reconstruction at two different locations.

Landscape and Historic Sites in the Municipality

The Trebel meadows shape a large part of the municipality. They are part of a lowland river valley peatland with meadows and wet woodland, providing a habitat for fallow deer, roe deer and wild boar, rare plants and endangered insects. The Trebeltal Nature Reserve (NSG 185) is also located within the municipality. There is a viewing platform in the Trebel meadows. These landscape features relate to the municipality as a whole, not just the village of Behren-Lübchin.

The historic buildings are also spread across several places in the municipality. Bobbin Manor House is a Neoclassical manor house built by the von Blücher family in 1825. Viecheln Manor House was built by Wilhelm Blohm in 1868; a comprehensive heritage-compliant renovation began there in 1995. The ruins of the Fangelturm stand in the estate park in Wasdow. The village also has a small church with a freestanding bell tower. The Schälchenstein is located on Birkenweg in Bäbelitz.

Other traces date back to earlier times: two Bronze Age conical burial mounds on Quitzenower Bauernweg are considered the oldest evidence of human settlement in the municipality of Behren-Lübchin. Moltkeburg lies southwest of Neu Nieköhr, secluded in the lowland at the boundary between Neu Nieköhr and Walkendorf; it was investigated in 1963–1964. In Behren-Lübchin itself, the cemetery includes an enclosure with a gate, a mortuary, a mausoleum, a statue and the Blohm family tomb.

Planning Your Trip

The village of Behren-Lübchin is on the L 23 state road. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in the municipality, the place names can help you locate your interests: the church, cemetery and castle history are associated with Behren-Lübchin, while other manor houses, churches and landscape attractions are in other parts of the municipality. This helps you distinguish the village itself from other points of interest within the municipality when planning your trip.

The Wider Rostock Destination

The wider Rostock destination extends beyond Behren-Lübchin. The Rostock region includes 62 kilometres of Baltic Sea coastline with several seaside resorts; its coastal hinterland includes the river valleys of the Warnow and Recknitz. Buses and trains operated by the regional transport association serve the Rostock district. With one ticket, visitors can travel throughout the region, including the Hanseatic and university city of Rostock.

Discover more destinations: Altkalen, Walkendorf, Lühburg, Boddin, Finkenthal.

Go to the regional travel overview: Amt Gnoien.