Mittsommer Remise

The next Midsummer Remise – the festival of baltic manors – will take place on 20 and 21 June 2020
Once again in June, we invite you to the lovely cultural landscapes of Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania for a great outing. The cultural event “MittsommerRemise – the long night of the Nordic manor houses” and invites you to two days of excursions.
The summer country trip offers insights and conversations into the newly blossoming cultural heritage of the Eastern Elbe manor houses. Doors and gates are opened and interested guests from near and far are welcomed. The manor houses can be visited with a ticket (from 12/8 € VVK). Guided tours of the manor houses and parks, sound experiences or exhibitions are offered to the guests.
Tickets and information as well as download of the programme booklet: www.mittsommer-remise.de 
A romantic world full of stories, history and culture awaits you. Because at the MidsummerRemise you will get a glimpse behind the facades of our North German manor houses and mansions, which will open doors, gates, locks and bolts for you. Get to know lords and ladies of the manor, learn more about the winding paths of a history that is up to 300 years old. Stroll through parks and explore ruins or beautifully renovated houses. Enjoy the wonderful atmosphere of a mild summer evening in front of the backdrop of this cultural beacon of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Manorial landscape

Welcome to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – the state of castles, gardens and manor houses. For centuries Mecklenburg and also Pomerania was the “Land of Castles and Manor Houses”.

Since the knights “Heinrich des Löwens” crossed the Elbe in the 12th century and initiated the colonization of the East, large structures have been built here. And so it is the large estates with their manor houses and historic farm buildings, with their patronage churches and the magnificent landscape parks, which have shaped the image of the country for a long time.

Even today, the more than 1000 preserved manor houses bear witness to this past era. Over 300 of them have been restored in recent years and are now used for tourism. These manor houses and stately homes were the living centre of an agricultural estate and a manor village. These manor villages are situated in the middle of a wonderful natural landscape and are ideal for relaxing holidays and nature exploration as well as holidays with culture.

On the following pages you will find some of the most beautiful manor houses of our country, built in the most different styles, which have opened their doors for you as a guest.

Parks and gardens

The flood of the ducal castles and manor houses also resulted in an equally large number of manor parks and palace gardens. The skilful integration of the landscape, especially by garden architects such as Peter Josef Lenné, resulted in parks and gardens of astonishing size and variety. A dream for garden lovers. A large number of them have been restored. However, the overgrown estate parks, often only recognisable by their giant trees and exotic solitary trees, are also worth a journey of discovery through the country. The park of Kaarz Castle near Schwerin was created in 1873 according to the plans of C. Ansorge on 70,000 m². In addition to some 500 year old oaks, exotic sequoias, Douglas firs and cypresses can be found here. While walking, guests discover an idyllic pond and an ancient orchard. In the front part of the park is the Bülow’s Chapel, in the back the impressive mausoleum.

The Güstrow Palace Garden was laid out at the same time as the construction of the Renaissance palace by Duke Ulrich zu Mecklenburg as a large pleasure garden parterre with arcades, pleasure houses, water features and fragrant plants. The 200-hectare Lennépark in Basedow is considered one of the most important works of the German landscape architect.
None other than Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once took a stroll in the 180-hectare landscape park of Schlitz Castle. The extensive grounds with wide avenues, old and partly rare trees, hidden ponds, 36 monuments in the form of obelisks, grottos and columns and the many idyllic squares invite you to dream and discover. Particularly famous is the Nymph Fountain, which was originally designed by Walter Schott in 1903 for the Wertheim department store in Berlin and shows three life-size bronze girls dancing on the fountain. 

Bothmer Castle and Park are impressively embedded in the landscape of the Klützer Winkel. The estate is situated on a 7 ha island, surrounded by a closed moat according to the Dutch model. After several years of renovation it is now accessible as a museum.

You can find out more about the history and architecture of the manors and manor houses of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on the website www.schloesser-gaerten-mv.de

The garden route MV

The Garden Route brings together over 50 public and tourist gardens and parks throughout the cultural heritage area of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Discover known and unknown treasures and gather astonishingly diverse impressions: You will find the lavishly restored palace garden as well as the herb garden, the fragrant rose garden, as well as the lush farmer’s garden or artistic garden installations and impressive landscape parks around the rural estates.

Numerous gardens are part of the agricultural tradition of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern or are laid out as spacious castle and estate parks. The gardens are not only beautiful to look at, they also reflect horticultural and historical traditions in an individual way. They often belong to the ensemble of historical manor houses and castles and can be experienced as unique cultural assets. In many places, garden tours are offered which clearly explain the design, natural and cultural heritage.

Round trip along the garden route with 4 or 6 overnight stays in the manor and castle hotels to be booked through our tour operator.

 

About

Our cultural heritage – the manor estates and their villages

The many manor houses, castles and stately homes in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania still bear witness to their former splendour and size, but above all to the special economic structures in the history of the state.

More than 2,000 stately homes were located there, more than 1,000 of which are still preserved today. In the course of land reform and social restructuring, the once stately manor houses lost their function. Thus began a sad chapter for the castles and manor houses, most of which are now listed buildings. After the fall of the Wall, some of the old or new owners renovated and restored these architectural gems. Today, many of the castles and manor houses are filled with life again.

The baltic manors once again form a new centre of social life in some villages, thus counteracting migration and demographic change.

The manor villages with the manor ensembles and parks as a cultural asset of the region in the entire Baltic area are my personal concern and my passion. Therefore, my work in the association and for the baltic manors used for tourism is continued in the accompaniment of such projects in the form of mediation of these properties and in the consultation on utilization concepts.

I wish the manor and castle hotels always nice guests and the guests a fantastic stay in our region.

Many greetings, Manfred Achtenhagen – chairman –

Association

New concepts for old manor houses

The association for historic houses used for tourism in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has been in existence for around 20 years and combines the owners’ experience in the restoration and use of privately owned castles and manor houses. The range of offers extends from guesthouses with holiday flats to 5-star houses. What they all have in common is their rural location, far away from the usual streams of tourists, and the special conditions in a historical building. Meanwhile the association counts 30 members and some supporting members. Our aim is to combine the forces and finances for marketing, public relations and lobby work.

The advantages of membership:

• a strong community
• a group full of people with experience and the love for old houses
• lobby work and press relations
• marketing activities

A membership including marketing service is possible from 250,00 €, depending on the number of rooms.

Sponsoring membership – become a manor house saver!
Already from 150,- € per year! You can support the association and our activities for the preservation of the cultural assets of castles and manor houses by becoming a supporting member.

We are pleased about your interest.  Please contact chairman Manfred Achtenhagen: 03 99 31 – 8 40 11

or by e-mail kontakt@mein-urlaub-im-schloss.de

 

Basthorst Castle

Close to the state capital Schwerin, surrounded by forests and lakes, the historical ensemble is the centre of an estate village.

(more…)

Castle Gamehl

Castle Gamehl is located at the coast near Wismar. It is a secluded location with a small park, easily accessible via motorways. (more…)

Kotelow Manor

Secluded shortly before Uckermünde, near the landscape conservation area Galenbecker See, with fieldstone church, gatehouse, manor park (more…)

Manor Redewisch

The hotel is situated in the greenery and is only a short distance from the beach and thus from the centre of Boltenhagen. (more…)

OLD SAMMIT CASTLE

The castle is located in the heart of the Mecklenburg Lake District (Krakow am See), near tow nature reserve parks with its impressive abundance of species. (more…)

POHNSTORF MANOR

The manor house in the Mecklenburgische Schweiz offers a lot of space to unfold, individual holiday flats, common rooms and a large garden invite to versatile uses. (more…)

MANOWCE CASTLE

Manowce Castle – Exclusive holiday in a luxury villa at the Baltic Sea in Poland (more…)

Schwansee Castle

Between Lübeck and Wismar, within walking distance to the Baltic Sea beach, near the romantic Baltic Sea resorts (more…)

Manor Saunstorf

Gut Saunstorf – A special place – the modern monastery hotel, near Wismar, not far from shore of the Baltic Sea. (more…)

Manor Friedrichshof

Small hotel with restaurant at a lake. Conveniently located to the motorways A19 and A20, close to the airport Rostock-Laage. (more…)

Manor Lexow

A simple manor house, very tastefully renovated in the Mecklenburg Lake District with holiday apartments and bed & breakfast rooms with a café. (more…)

Manor Hohen Luckow

A historic estate with baroque manor house, well-kept landscape and sculpture park and an ultra-modern farm (more…)

Familytime

Enjoy the freedom and spirit of countryside in the beautiful nature with your beloved ones. The manor houses and holiday homes of this category offer services and space for kids and families. You may book family rooms or apartments, you will find playgrounds, parks and sometimes pets to enjoy a wonderful vacation.

From castle to castle

Roundtrips to enjoy the cultural heritage of manor houses in the countryside

 

Explore the land and people of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, from the lake Müritz to the river Peene, between Schwerin and Rostock, on the islands of Rügen or Usedom. You will discover castles and manor houses and their history up close. You travel from castle to castle by bike or on foot on a hike or in your own car – our travel agency partner with 20 years of experience will put together the most beautiful routes for you. As a regional tour operator, we have put together tours with different themes and individual routes in the most beautiful regions of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. You only have to decide. All tours are equipped with maps and route information. For the walking and cycling tours, the hotels provide luggage transfer. On the tours with 4-7 overnight stays you will get to know the original nature of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the country and its people and the cultural heritage of the manor villages very closely.

In the following you will find the trips 2020. You can also give away a trip from castle to castle or a stay in a castle as a gift voucher! Follow this link: Vouchers – Schwerin Plus Touristik: Travel from castle to castle

History of manor culture

A tremendous density of manor houses

The countryside in eastern North Germany is very extensive, and the agriculture fields are larger then elsewhere. The area beyond the river Elbe is the land of the large agricultural manor estates, which is unique in Europe. After Heinrich The Lion and his battles against the Slavic tribes, a relatively down-to-earth form of Mecklenburg Pomeranian nobility was formed. It’s no coincidence then, that the same family names appear again and again amongst those who received grants of land from the Mecklenburg and Pomeranian Dukes: The Oertzen, Maltzahn, Bülow, Plessen, Hahn, Bassewitz, Blücher, Wedel and Puttkammer families thus became great landowners. After further increase in the land ownership of the nobles due to the 30´s Year War, by the end of the 18th century, the typical, large noble manor estate was established as the dominant feature of the Mecklenburg and Pomerania countryside. Classical farming villages were seldom and had been largely replaced by the manor estate villages. The manor house (Gutshaus, Herrenhaus) was the focal point of the village, the various farm buildings, the dwellings of the estate workers, the church – often a patronage church of the lord, and the typical landscape parks, often rambling over large areas. These building collectives embedded in the wide-ranging Mecklenburg Pomeranian countryside remain to this day the definitive characteristic of the region. The political and social orientation to the East-Elbish manorial structure changed over the course of history. One thing is clear, however, it worked very well for hundreds of years.

Explore the lively hinterland
Only at the time after 1945 and specially after 1990 the seemingly unstoppable decline of the historically fascinating manorials startet with the separation of the buildings from the land. It still isn’t too late to preserve a large part of this treasure, which offers enormous touristic potential for the region. Nowadays visitors may choose between 1.500 Manor Houses to visit. A few hundred of them are offering a touristic offer. Manor Houses are used as hotels, B&B, Eventlocations or as holiday apartments. Some of them are museums or cultural venues with exhibitions, art or concerts. Some of them offer a luxurious standard, most of them are down to earth and very country house like.

The right manor for your vacation

For your convenience we have clustered the manor hotels into different occasions. So you may browse in the category that meets your needs. Wether it is a family vacation or a family celebration like a wedding or a business event. If you like  a good culinary experience we are happy to recommend these places. You will find manor houses with beautiful nature around or the hotels with classy wellness offers or special offers for wellbeing and activity.

Our hotels in manors and mansions are located in charming villages around the entire state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. By lakes and guarded by avenues, between river Elbe and the river Peene, in the Müritz Lake District  or in Mecklenburg Switzerland. The historic houses with hotel rooms or holiday apartments can also be found in the countryside around Rostock, Wismar or Schwerin. Indulge into this very unique cultural heritage landscape of historic estates.

For personal assistance and consultation please get in touch with our competent partner and travel agency

http://www.von-schloss-zu-schloss.de or +49 – 385 – 558020

Celebrations and events

These locations offer indoor and outdoor rooms for private or business events. If you are dreaming of a special wedding with small or big groups you will find them in our manors or castles. In some historic estates you may even find a chapel in the park, a church in the village or a registry office. The lush green park of a manor or castle is also a creative place for the next off site, workshop or business reception. Once there were balls or representative dinners held by the nobility of the houses, now they are excelent rooms for conferences ir seminars.

sport and wellness

In this category you find historic hotels with an offer for sportive activities, wellness and relaxation.
If you are looking for a golf course, watersports or horse riding, in this category you will find the right places with pools, saunas and SPA treatments. Some places have regular offers of yoga weekends, meditation or fitness coachings. Recharge while you are bycicle through mellow hills and woods, meet the diverse fauna while paddling in the evening sun or just feel alive when you are walking at fresh air around one of the millions of lakes.

Nature and countryside

Unspoilt landscapes, vast lake and river landscapes and nature reserves as far as the eye can see. The manor houses have always been closely connected to nature and countryside through agriculture and are today an ideal starting point for a holiday close to nature, as it is only possible in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The manor houses listed here are recommended for a holiday close to nature.

Culinary and cultural delights

You may look  forward to enjoy culinary delights in a manor house and to be spoilt  in a castle hotel. Regional, fresh products are processed into creative and delicious dishes. From rustic to refined. The manor houses listed here are recommended for a pleasurable holiday and have a restaurant with a high-quality menu.

Staying in a Manor House in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

You will find around 30 of the most beautiful private hotels and holiday accommodations in historic manor houses and castles. If you are looking for a perfect countryside-stay, the manor houses and castles offer a wide variety. With their variable history these former estates with their representative family-homes represent the cultural heritage of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Nowhere else in Europe is the density of the manorial estate and country castles larger than here in the land between the Elbe and Peene.

A large number of the 2000 historic manor houses are now used for tourism and look forward to being discovered by you, away from the tourist crowds. An estate, with its farm buildings, whose center forms the manor house offers an idyllic environment for a dignified holiday in a historic atmosphere. Refurbished and maintained estates are an important economic and social engine in rural areas, not only the ones used in touristic ways. Therefore, we as an association, are committed to save as many manor houses and historic country estates.

Welcome on our portal for lovely hotels in castles, manors and mansions

From the 5-star castle hotel to the apartment, the range of touristic concepts and offers is broad. So you are sure to find the right hotel in the castle or manor house for your vacation, for your wedding or for your group trip. Our houses are the ideal starting point for exploring nature between the Baltic Sea and Lake District in Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania. The lake landscape, endless alleys and nature reserves with an incomparable richness of species will charm you.

The estate villages, with their estates, farm buildings, parks and agricultural land, represent a unique cultural heritage in their uniqueness for the region. These houses tell stories and carry millions of moments in themselves. Uncovering and telling these stories is an important part of reviving these goods. Let yourself be captivated by exciting and lively history and enjoy your next vacation in a Gutshotel, in a mansion or in the castle hotel.

The Cultural Heritage Festival “MittsomerRemise – weekend of the Baltic Manor Houses” will take place next on 20st and 21st June 2020 with around 100 estates and a colorful cultural program.
We wish you a nice holiday!