Hornstorf: Discover history and cycling routes

Hornstorf combines a long local history with practical connections to the surrounding area. The first documented mention of the village dates back to 1282. St. Laurentius village church, built in the Gothic style, is considered its oldest building. The Wismar Bay is about five kilometers from Hornstorf. When planning a stay, you can use the village’s history and the Wismar Bay, about five kilometers away, as points of reference. If you are looking for a hotel in Hornstorf, you can take these features into account when deciding where to stay.

Village church and historical traces

As Hornstorf’s oldest building, St. Laurentius combines local history with Gothic architecture. The church contains a pilgrim’s lodging that offers pilgrims on the Via Baltica a place to rest. Thus, alongside its historical significance, the village church also serves a practical purpose for travelers on this pilgrimage route. For pilgrims, the lodging in the church is a key point of reference; for other travelers, the building’s age and architectural style are its historical features.

Historical points of interest can also be found outside the church. The fieldstone portal at Hornstorf’s former cemetery, a Harms family grave dating from 1808 on Hauptstraße, and a group of farmhouses at Schwedenschanze 3–11 are listed as historic monuments (as of February 28, 2025). The traditional farmhouses in Schwedenschanze were built during the resettlement of the 1930s. This means the historical record spans everything from the village’s early history to structural traces from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Getting here and routes in the surrounding area

For car journeys, the Osttangente is an important route: it leads to the A20 and A14 motorways. The Osttangente also provides access from Hornstorf to Wismar city center and the island of Poel. If you choose where to stay based on your planned destinations, you can factor these connections into your decision. Hornstorf’s railway history goes back to 1883, when the Wismar–Rostock railway line opened and gave the village a rail connection. Regional trains from Schwerin or Rostock can bring travelers to Hornstorf. For specific train journeys, it is advisable to check the timetable.

For cyclists, a cycle path runs alongside the B105 to Benz/Kalsow; it was completed in summer 2019. From Benz/Kalsow, you can continue along the Baltic Sea Cycle Route toward Boltenhagen and Lübeck. In the region, cycle routes extend south to Schwerin; there is also a cycle connection in the direction of the island of Poel. When choosing a route, the connection to Benz/Kalsow is distinct from the regional cycling routes toward Schwerin and Poel.

The wider landscape of Northwest Mecklenburg

As a destination in its own right, Northwest Mecklenburg offers a broader landscape to explore. In the north, the district encompasses the “Northwest Mecklenburg Hills with Wismar Bay” landscape area; in the south, the “West Mecklenburg Lake District with Lake Schwerin.” Northwest Mecklenburg’s landscape includes terminal moraine ridges, gently rolling ground moraine plateaus, steep and flat coastal sections, meltwater and drainage channels, and outwash plains. For travel planning beyond the individual village, comparing Wismar Bay in the north with Lake Schwerin in the south provides a guide to the different landscape areas.

Discover more destinations: Benz bei Wismar, Neuburg, Blowatz, Krusenhagen, Boiensdorf

Return to the overview of destinations: Amt Neuburg.