On another day trip from Berlin, I decided to head north to Mecklenburg Vorpommern and visit a few towns. Unfortunately due to work on the train lines, there wasn't a direct train during that period but I had to switch once to a bus. Having arrived in Neubrandenbrug I headed towards the old town, still surrounded by the original medieval walls and some of the best-preserved in the country. I entered the old town through the Fangelturm, a 15th-century medieval tower part of the walls and with a small gate made in the 19th century. Right nearby was the church of St John built in a red brick gothic style during the 14th century and part of the Franciscan monastery. Today the church and monastery host the city museum. From there I headed through the middle of the old town, though most of the buildings were destroyed during WWII. In the middle of town was the Marienkirche, a red brick gothic-style church from the end of the 13th century. At the southern end of the old town, I reached the medieval walls once again and here came to the Stargarder Tor, one of the four medieval city gates which gave the nickname to the city, the city of four gates. This one built in 1311 consists of two parts, an outer gate and an inner one, and connected by a wall between them. The outer gate, richly adorned with gothic gables and a height of 18m conceals its defensive nature while the inner gate reaches a height of 24m. The latter, on the city side, features nine terracotta figures called Adorantines with open arms, also present on another of the city gates, but nothing is known about the symbolism and age of these figures. From the city gate, I then followed the inner perimeter of the walls admiring the interesting feature of the so-called Weikhaus a series of small houses built directly in the walls once used for observation and defense; the city once counted a total of 56 of these buildings. On the eastern side of the old town, I came across the Neues Tor, the other city gate hosting those cryptic figures. This is the youngest of the four gates having been built in the 15th century, but only the inner gate has survived with the outer one and semi-circular ringwork having been destroyed during the 17th and 19th centuries. Not too far ahead following the walls, I came to the next gate, the Friedländer Tor. The best preserved of them all it features an inner gate, an outer wall, and the semi-circular ringwork totaling 90m in length altogether. In the 18th century, two half-timbered gatehouses were integrated into the ramparts for the tax collector and gatekeeper. Following the walls once again I got to the other side of town, on the west, where I then saw the last gate, the Treptower Tor. This one too featured an inner and outer gate connected by a wall. Built in the 14th century it is also the most beautiful with the inner gate reaching a height of 32m and double the height of the outer one which had beautiful gothic gables. In the 18th century, a gatehouse for the watchmen and tax collector was integrated into the ramparts. Once I made a nice round of the town it was time to head out. I passed through the Stargard gate and headed out of the city and into the Lindetal a forested valley along the Linde river. I followed the river, enjoyed the nice walk, and then came out into the open countryside. I followed the trail which took me once again through the forest and after a few kilometers eventually reached the next destination, the town of Burg Stargard named so after its main monument, the castle. I walked through town, passing the town church rebuilt after a fire destroyed the older medieval one in 1758, and headed uphill to reach what is considered Germany's most northern hill castle. After reaching the structure I paid the entry ticket and started touring the castle grounds. Standing on top of a 90m hill, this castle was built in the 13th century in a typical brick gothic style. I entered through the outer ramparts and lower gate and reached the open area where service buildings were erected around the main keep. Once the stables, prison house, and barn now they host a museum, cafè, and hotel. Through the upper gate, I then entered the inner bailey where the main keep is located. I first climbed to the top and admired the nice panorama, The keep was built in 1250 reaching a height of 29m with 4m thick walls and a diameter of 12m. Once back down I walked over to the nearby building, the so-called crooked house once housed the magistrate's offices but burnt down completely on 18 December 1919, due to arson and still remains in ruins. Next to it, another building, the old mint, was erected in 1250. It served as a brewery until 1500, and after the castle's modernization during the 16th century, it served as a kitchen and storehouse and turned into minting use at the beginning of the 18th century before then being used as a stable, corn loft, and more recently youth school, youth hostel, and then restaurant. Next up was the castle chapel which once formed part of the upper gate. In fact, the gate was inserted into the inner bailey's walls and a chapel was built in its upper storey. In 1520, the drawbridge was dismantled, the gateway and the middle window were connected and then bricked up, and the building was refurnished as a chapel, sixty years later, it was expanded towards the inner courtyard. Once out of the inner bailey I toured the rest of the castle grounds admiring it from different parts and perspectives. I then completed the round by visiting the museum inside the former stables where there were exhibitions on country life. After having visited the castle I headed back into town and to the train station where I took a bus to the last stop of the day, Neustrelitz. The town consists of a well-planned baroque town center in an octagonal form around a central square. Here stands the city church from the end of the 18th century and the town hall from 1841. The city was also known for the Neustrelitz Palace, a baroque 18th-century palace that served as the main residence of the Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. However, unfortunately, the palace was destroyed during World War II and was not reconstructed and instead fully dismantled. Nowadays a park remains on site and plans for its reconstruction are being discussed. Surviving from the castle complex are still the18th-century Orangerie, the palace church built in the 19th century in neo-gothic style, and the Louise Temple, built in 1891 in the shape of a Greek temple to house the tomb of Queen Louise of Prussia, born Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Right next to the park was the Zierker See, a large lake bordering the city to the west. I walked along its shore for a brief part and then headed back through the city, After a final walk around I eventually reached the train station from where I took a ride back home to Berlin.
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The entrance to the regional museum in Neubrandenburg |
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The former church of St John |
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The Marienkirche |
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The Stargarder Tor |
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The medieval walls |
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The Neues Tor |
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The Friedlander Tor |
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Another view of the medieval walls |
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The Treptower Tor |
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A street in the old town |
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Through the Lindetal |
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A view from the top of Burg Stargard's keep |
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The Burg Stargard castle complex |
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Another view of the complex |
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Neustrelitz's old town |
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Neustrelitz's Schlosskirche |