Selpin: Cycling Tour and Manor House History

Selpin offers a different focus within the wider Rostock travel destination than a stay devoted solely to the coast: a 25-kilometre cycling tour passes through the village, while manor house and landscape attractions are mainly found in the surrounding municipality. When choosing where to stay, it is therefore worth considering whether cycling, cultural history and landscape should be the main draw—or whether the Baltic coast and its seaside resorts should take centre stage.

Cycling and traces of historic routes

The “Steinreiches ParkLand” cycling tour is 25 kilometres long and includes Selpin in its route. The tour starts in Woltow; there is a car park at the exit of the village towards Selpin. The starting point and parking option provide practical reference points for planning the tour.

The route of a former sugar beet railway also runs south of Selpin. Sugar beets were once transported along it on small rail wagons to the sugar factory in Tessin. The old railway line thus tells the story of the route’s former purpose and adds a historical perspective to the current cycling route.

Manor houses and landscapes in the municipality

Selpin Manor House was built around 1751 and remodelled in 1850. Wesselstorf Manor House is also located in the municipality. It is surrounded by gardens featuring old fruit varieties and a partly restored park with a valuable collection of mature trees, including many exotic species. Cultural events are held at the manor house at irregular intervals, including open gardens, concerts, readings and exhibitions.

The Cloud Garden in Wesselstorf grew out of a former goose meadow and is continually being developed. In the manor park, a sightline runs from the south side of the house across the pond to a rise known as Schlossberg. This connection between the house, body of water and rise gives the park a clearly defined spatial layout. The entire municipality of Selpin lies within the “Wesselstorf” landscape protection area.

Woltow, too, is one of the places in the municipality with a history of manor houses and parks. The inner park area covers about eight hectares and is an archaeological monument; the moat and rampart of the old Slavic castle complex are still clearly visible. Woltow Manor House stands on this former castle site and has been falling into disrepair since 1990. Drüsewitz Manor House has a different use: it is privately owned and used as a residence. In Reddershof, also in the municipality, Reddershof Manor House, also called Reddershof Castle, stands in a hilly park covering several hectares. In some places, the elevation changes by several metres.

Nature and culture nearby

Griever Holz Nature Reserve is a woodland inhabited by animals including foxes, hares, fire-bellied toads, white-tailed eagles and cranes. The Wossidlo House gives visitors the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Richard Wossidlo, considered the founder of Mecklenburg folklore studies. The “Steinreiches ParkLand” cycling tour also leads to Friedrichshof, regarded as the birthplace of folklorist Richard Wossidlo. The woodlands, folklore and manor house history offer different ways to explore the surrounding area.

Selpin within the wider Rostock travel destination

The wider Rostock travel destination also offers access to the coast: the Rostock region is bordered by 62 kilometres of Baltic coastline, with several seaside resorts. For days spent in nature and being active, the broader travel area also features the deeply incised breakthrough valleys along the Warnow, lakes, hills and extensive forests of Sternberger Seenland Nature Park. The nature park is especially popular for hiking and cycling.

Regional transport is another factor to consider when planning a trip. Buses and trains operate within the Rostock district as part of the regional transport network. With a single ticket, visitors can travel throughout the region, including the Hanseatic and university city of Rostock. Selpin can thus be seen as a place with its own cycling route and manor house history, while also being considered in the wider context of the coastal, nature and cultural attractions of the Rostock travel destination.

Discover more destinations: Cammin, Zarnewanz, Grammow, Thelkow, Nustrow, Gnewitz, Stubbendorf.

View the wider travel overview: Tessin administrative district.