Alt Meteln between the Village Church and Rolling Hills
Accommodation in Alt Meteln
Alt Meteln is shaped by a historic village center and gently rolling hills near Schwerin. The wide-open sky is also part of the landscape. The village church provides a tangible historical landmark: its location within the old cemetery, along with the churchyard wall and freestanding bell tower, makes the village center legible as an architectural setting.
Former Roman Catholic Church Maria Himmelfahrt in Alt Meteln
Photo: Holzheizer via Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Village Church and Townscape
The village church of Alt Meteln was built in the second half of the 13th century and is by far the oldest building in the village. This Gothic brick building stands in the southern part of the area enclosed by Ringstraße, within the old cemetery. This precise location helps visitors place the building within the village center. Several architectural periods come together at the church: the brick building is Gothic, while the altar wall inside is designed in the Neo-Gothic style. The wooden pews, pulpit and gallery further shape the interior. Outside, the partially well-preserved churchyard wall and the bell tower standing apart from the church provide additional distinctive features. Viewed together, the site reveals the Gothic building style, Neo-Gothic furnishings and freestanding elements.
Churchyard and Remembrance
On the west side of the church, a small memorial on the churchyard commemorates the soldiers who fell in the First World War. An additional plaque also commemorates those who fell in the Second World War. The memorial stands in front of the wooden bell tower. It can be reached from Ringstraße via a wide, four-step stone staircase. If you plan to visit the churchyard, check the current visitor arrangements in advance.
Village Character and Regional Landscape
Alt Meteln renovated its old village center in the 1990s and 2000s, preserving much of its rural character. In the broader travel destination of Nordwestmecklenburg, the northern area includes the landscape region “Nordwestmecklenburg Hills with Wismar Bay,” while to the south lies the “West Mecklenburg Lake District with Lake Schwerin.” Nordwestmecklenburg’s landscape also includes terminal moraine ridges, gently undulating ground moraine plateaus, steep and flat coastal stretches, glacial meltwater and drainage channels, and outwash plains. Within this wider setting, Alt Meteln contributes its own hilly landscape near Schwerin and its preserved village character.
Cultural Highlights
The Alt Meteln Local History Association holds a games evening at the local history room on the first Wednesday of every month. If you would like to take part, check in advance whether and how participation is possible.
The Alt Meteln library is located at Ringstraße 2, in the community center. Its listed opening hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m., and Wednesday from 3 to 5 p.m. Check the hours before your visit.
For KunstOffen 2026, Ursula Bahr’s painting and graphic arts studio in Alt Meteln was listed. It offers works on paper and canvas created using a range of techniques; some techniques are explained at the printing press. If you plan to visit the studio, check the current visiting arrangements in advance.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Lübstorf, Cramonshagen, Seehof, Grambow, Perlin, Klein Trebbow, Pingelshagen, Schildetal.
For the broader travel overview: Amt Lützow-Lübstorf.
