Anklam: City History and Experiences on the Peene

There are several ways to shape a stay in Anklam: explore the city’s history, museums, and churches, or enjoy experiences on and along the Peene. The sights and activities offer different starting points for planning your trip.

City History in Museums and Collections

The Steintor Museum is located in a 32-metre-high city gate, the tallest brick Gothic city gate in Pomerania. It is also the oldest museum in Western Pomerania between Greifswald and Szczecin. At the museum, the climb leads up 111 steps to the fifth floor. The site brings together the history of the building and a first-hand look at Anklam’s museums.

The Otto Lilienthal Museum focuses on a different subject. It exhibits aircraft designed by Otto Lilienthal, who made the first safe gliding flights in history in 1891. Self-developed flight simulators, including the “Lilienthal Cockpit,” give visitors a feel for flying. Visitors can also explore the physical properties of air through numerous hands-on experiments. Historic aircraft and the chance to try things out for yourself sit side by side.

The Anklam coin hoard comprises 2,579 coins, as well as silver and gold jewellery and household objects. These include garment fittings and pendants for guild goblets. The hoard is presented as the most significant archaeological find from the Thirty Years’ War period in Pomerania.

Churches and Historic Buildings

St. Nicholas Church is a typical Hanseatic church and town council church. Built from 1280 for merchants, seafarers, and fishermen, it has hosted classical concerts since 2018. St. Mary’s Church is Anklam’s oldest religious building; its painted decoration is considered especially worth seeing. The two churches complement museum visits with different aspects of the city’s history.

A residential building also offers a tangible glimpse into Anklam’s architectural history: Built in 1406 by cloth merchant Georgius de Ghlin, it is the city’s oldest surviving house and its only surviving Gothic town house. A mill was built in 1728 as the first Dutch-style windmill in Anklam, which was then divided. The former Wehrmacht prison is part of the history of the 20th century. It was built between 1939 and 1940 as part of the Nazi military justice system to hold 600 prisoners.

Experiences on the Peene and Getting Your Bearings

From Anklam, you can explore the Peene independently by canoe, rowing boat, or raft. Guided beaver tours offer a different kind of experience, taking visitors out on the water through unspoilt nature. The main difference is whether you explore the Peene on your own or as part of a guided tour.

On land, the riverside promenade starts at the Peenestraße/Peene pedestrian bridge and follows the Peene towards Görke. The Anklam waterway rest area is another point of reference for a stay by the water. It has 13 berths, a slipway, camping facilities, a playground, and a service building.

Anklam Tourist Information provides information about visits to the museums and St. Nicholas Church. If you’re looking for a hotel in Anklam, you can decide what to focus on during your trip: city history and collections, or activities on and along the Peene.

Discover more destinations: Strasburg, Torgelow-Ferdinandshof District, Löcknitz-Penkun District, Am Stettiner Haff District, Züssow District, Anklam-Land District, Landhagen District, Usedom-Nord District.

Back to the regional travel overview: Vorpommern-Greifswald.