Gnewitz: Beet Railway, Trails and Nature

If you are planning a trip to Gnewitz, you can explore the village through two interests: the history of the beet railway and trails for walking or cycling. The former terminus of the northern branch, the Gnewitz loading point, a megalithic tomb and a bird sanctuary provide specific points of interest. Depending on whether you prefer cycling, hiking or learning about historic features of the village, different aspects of Gnewitz come to the fore.

Beet railway: a history with specific stops

The former terminus of the northern branch of the beet railway is in Gnewitz. The narrow-gauge network extended for about 45 kilometres and ran from Tessin to places including Gnewitz. At the former terminus, a horse and wagon illustrate how sugar beets were transported from the fields to the loading point and tipped from the ramp into open wooden wagons. This brings the former role of the village as part of an agricultural transport chain to life.

Cycling and hiking: different perspectives on the trails

The “Northern Beet Railway Tour” cycle route leads to the Gnewitz loading point as its fourth stop. It runs mostly along well-developed cycle paths or roads with little traffic and is suitable for children. This route description therefore combines a named destination with information about the type of trail. If you are travelling with children, you can take the route’s explicitly stated suitability into account when planning.

Other route descriptions lead on foot through the village and into the surrounding area. One hike goes through Gnewitz to the village pond at the edge of the village; another hike from Gnewitz heads towards the Recknitz Valley. The “From Zarnewanz to the Megalithic Tombs” hike runs through the forest to Gnewitz and then shortly beyond Neu Gnewitz to several megalithic tombs. The landmarks mentioned differ: the village pond and Recknitz Valley sit alongside the beet railway history, while the route from Zarnewanz leads to the tombs.

Manor house, park and natural landscape

A manor house and a park are located at Am Park 4 in Gnewitz. The Gnewitz megalithic tomb is a monument and an attraction. These local features complement the beet railway history with other historical and cultural connections. Gnewitz’s natural environment can also be explored: the EU bird sanctuary “Recknitz and Trebel Valleys with Tributary Valleys and Open Farmland” includes, among other places, the municipality of Gnewitz in the Tessin administrative district. Gnewitz is therefore one of several municipalities covered by the protected area.

Gnewitz in the wider destination of Rostock

The wider destination of Rostock extends beyond Gnewitz in its range of themes. The Rostock region is bordered by 62 kilometres of Baltic Sea coastline, with a number of seaside resorts; the coastal hinterland also includes the river valleys of the Warnow and the Recknitz. Another railway attraction in this wider destination is the historic Molli narrow-gauge railway. It runs between Kühlungsborn and Bad Doberan and is the oldest narrow-gauge railway on the Baltic coast. This is a different railway connection from the former beet railway terminus in Gnewitz. When choosing your trip, you can distinguish Gnewitz’s themes—railway and transport history, trails and nature—from the coastal and Molli themes in the wider destination of Rostock.

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

Return to the wider travel overview: Tessin Administrative District.