Circular hiking trail around Lake Huwenowsee

The circular hiking trail around Lake Huwenowsee takes you into a landscape that could not be more magical: Oak and beech forest with many old trees accompanies you on natural forest paths along the partly steep shore, you always catch glimpses of the lake located in the basin, a wooden footbridge leads you through the marshy forest in the western shore area and Meseberg Castle - today a guest house of the federal government - gives you the impression that you are walking through a film set. Already german poet Theodor Fontane called it a "magic castle" in his Wanderungen durch die Mark Brandenburg.

On the way, you can cool your feet at two bathing spots, a large meadow on the west bank invites you to have a picnic, and from the official rest area, the castle once again shows itself in all its glory. There are also places to sit along the way. The castle itself is not open to the public, it only opens its doors to visitors once a year on Open Day.

Length: 5.9 km / Duration: approx. 1.5 hours
Start/finish: Parking lot Meseberg
Logo/route marking: rapeseed-yellow circle on pure white background, alternatively: signposting of the "Laufpark Stechlin" ("light green, number 4")
Parking facilities: Parking lot at Meseberg Castle, Meseberger Dorfstraße 32, 16775 Gransee, Germany

Route description/Sights and things to know: The round tour starts at the central parking lot in Meseberg, here you will find an information board about the castle and the hiking trail with an overview map and the route. Then you hike counterclockwise around the idyllic lake in the valley basin. First you follow the Meseberger Dorfstraße until you reach a parking lot. Here you turn left in the direction of the lake shore and hike to a resting place from where you can admire the castle in all its splendor. From here, the hiking trail leads along the northern shore of the lake - the forest here appears rustic and mighty, again and again you will discover imposing beech and oak trees. At the western tip of the lake you cross the Dölschfließ. Only a few steps further, you can picnic on a large meadow or dare to jump into the water at the bathing area. Shortly after, you will cross the Lindower Rhin, which connects the Huwenowsee with the Wutzsee in Lindow. From now on you walk along the southern steep bank, past mighty deciduous trees until you reach the former castle park again. Here you will discover, among other things, the "Lessing Stone" - three engraved rings refer to the parable in Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's drama Nathan the Wise. The descendants of the famous poet owned the castle from 1885 to 1934 and had a mausoleum built in the park, which is located on the slope above the memorial stone. However, the grave was robbed in 1945 and the bodies were buried anonymously in the Meseberg cemetery. A little above the path there is another mausoleum built by the family of Baron Franz Friedrich von Hövel, who owned the castle before, i.e. until 1885. The climb is rewarded with a beautiful view over the lake. From here it is now not far: at the pavilion turn right and walk along the castle wall, past the cemetery, back to the parking lot.

Maps/Literature: "Unterwegs"-Flyer from the Nature Park Stechlin-Ruppiner Land