Schönwalde is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, with an economy shaped largely by agriculture. Two interests are easy to distinguish when planning a trip: church art and archaeological traces on the one hand, and wildlife watching and cycling on the other. The lime-tree avenue in Dargitz is a local highlight. Other attractions range from Dargitz Church to the Darschkower See protected area and Schloßberg.
Nature and Water
The Darschkower See protected area is a refuge for numerous breeding birds and rare insects. Visitors can view the area from the adjacent western field path; check the local access conditions before your visit. The protected area is home to 35 species of day-flying butterflies and three species of burnet moths. These figures give a concrete sense of the diversity of insects found there; populations may change as future surveys are carried out.
Swimming is concentrated at a bathing spot on the lake’s southwest shore. Check current bathing conditions on site. Fishing is subject to restrictions under the protected-area rules because of sensitive breeding-bird populations; check the regulations in force before fishing. The planning considerations therefore differ: for swimming, the current conditions at the bathing spot matter; for fishing, it is the rules protecting breeding birds.
Landscape and History
The Oszug, about three kilometres long, begins east of Schönwalde and ends at Schloßberg. Remains of a medieval Slavic fortification are located there. Schloßberg is therefore both the endpoint of the Oszug and an archaeological landmark. The stated length describes the landscape feature; it should not be taken as an indication of walking time.
Dargitz Church is a medieval village church with a Baroque altar and rich frescoes dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. Stolzenburg Church houses a baptismal angel from the 18th century. The historical features thus span medieval frescoes, a Baroque altar and a single furnishing from the 18th century. Together with the lime-tree avenue in Dargitz, they offer a variety of points of interest: architecture, religious furnishings and a local visual highlight.
Cycling on Regional Routes
At district level, the Berlin–Usedom long-distance cycle route runs through Vorpommern-Greifswald. It connects Berlin and Usedom; its landscape and themes include meadows, forests, wildlife, lakes, rivers and historic places with old churches. The Brohmer Berge–Randowtal circular route offers a different kind of tour: this 205-kilometre cycle loop starts in Pasewalk and can be completed in stages over four days. It passes through villages, meadows and forests as far as Torgelow and into the Ueckermünde Heath.
The different details are useful when choosing a route: the Berlin–Usedom long-distance cycle route is described as a connection between Berlin and Usedom, while the circular route is specified by its total length, starting point and possible four-day itinerary. This lets you weigh up a long-distance route with two named endpoints against a loop with a defined four-day timeframe. Schönwalde’s own landscape is shaped largely by agriculture; the route information refers to regional routes.
If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Schönwalde, first decide what you want your stay to focus on: churches and historical sites, wildlife watching or a cycling trip on regional routes. If you plan to swim, factor the current conditions at the bathing spot into your plans; if you plan to fish, check the protected-area rules; and if you plan to visit the protected area, check the local access conditions.
Discover more destinations: Viereck, Zerrenthin, Krugsdorf, Koblentz, Nieden, Brietzig, Polzow, Groß Luckow.
Go to the main travel overview: Amt Uecker-Randow-Tal.
