Hohenzieritz: Palace, Park and Luise Memorial

Palace history and the Luise Memorial

Hohenzieritz Palace was built between 1746 and 1751 as a single-storey Baroque building. Hohenzieritz Park was laid out from 1771 at the behest of Duke Carl II and is one of the earliest English landscape parks on the European continent. These construction dates offer two historical perspectives: palace architecture from the mid-18th century and a landscaped park created from 1771 onwards.

The Luise Memorial is open to visitors inside the palace. Redesigned in June 2017, its exhibition tells the story of Queen Luise’s life and death, her legacy and the history of the memorial. It thus traces a path from the queen’s biography to the impact of her memory and the history of this place of remembrance. Visitors can also enter the front section of Queen Luise’s death chamber.

Visitors can take part in a tradition of collecting autographs: they can add their own names to a replica of the autograph panels. This allows the tradition to continue at the memorial. The Luise Memorial also offers an educational programme for children. The biography, commemorative culture and opportunity to participate provide different thematic ways to experience the visit.

Round church and routes through Hohenzieritz

The ensemble of Hohenzieritz Palace includes a round church built in 1806. It stands at the start of the avenue leading to the palace. A designated pilgrimage route also connects several of these landmarks: it runs through the palace park, past the palace and behind the round church to the village street. If you plan to take the route, check the current waymarkers and access before setting out.

The “In the Footsteps of Queen Luise of Prussia” cycle tour also leads to Hohenzieritz. There, Hohenzieritz Palace houses the Luise Memorial in the queen’s death chamber. The two routes differ in their described courses: the pilgrimage route runs through the palace park and past the palace, while the cycle tour is described as a route to Hohenzieritz. This makes it easier to choose between a pilgrimage route around the palace and a cycle tour with the village as its destination.

Landscape and other nature experiences

The municipality of Hohenzieritz, including the villages of Prillwitz and Zippelow, lies in a picturesque terminal moraine landscape.

For broader travel planning, the wider Mecklenburg Lake District destination offers further nature experiences. Müritz National Park is part of the Mecklenburg Lake District and is characterised by forests, bogs, lakes and expansive meadows. Its hiking trail explores the park’s landscapes and distinctive features over nine stages. It runs along lakes, through ancient forests, past inland dunes and to the source of the Havel. Alongside Hohenzieritz’s historical attractions, the Mecklenburg Lake District therefore offers a separate nature trail divided into stages.

Certified nature and landscape guides offer informative tours through Müritz National Park, including guided visits to the UNESCO World Heritage beech forest at Serrahn and tours from the water. Another nature excursion leads to the Damerower Werder bison reserve, located on a peninsula in Lake Kölpin in the Mecklenburg Lake District and Nossentiner/Schwinzer Heath Nature Park. Visitors can watch bison there. The reserve also has a forest discovery trail with climbing activities, an ant house, an exhibition with tactile and visual panels, and a dendrophone. Visitors to the Mecklenburg Lake District can thus choose between guided nature tours, wildlife watching and interactive stations as distinct experiences.

Discover more destinations: Blankensee, Godendorf, Klein Vielen, Möllenbeck, Grünow, Kratzeburg, Userin, Carpin.

View the wider travel overview: Amt Neustrelitz-Land.