Weitenhagen: Forest Paths and Village History
Accommodation in Weitenhagen
Weitenhagen combines paths through forests and countryside with a village church whose history dates back to the Middle Ages. This offers different options for planning your trip: you can explore hiking and jogging routes, or learn about the village church and other traces of the past. When planning your trip, you can consider walks as well as a winter sledding trip.
File:Kirche Weitenhagen und Glockenstuhl Panorama.jpg
Photo: Jojoo64 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Forest and Paths Around Weitenhagen
Potthäger Forest covers the southern part of the municipality. The continuous woodland covers more than 1,000 hectares in total and includes moors and meadows; its flora and fauna are rich in species. The forest has a network of hiking trails. Maps showing the routes are located at the start of Guester Weg, at the crossroads between Pott and Weitenhagen. If you want to plan your hike there, you can first use these maps to get your bearings.
Another distinctive route is the Kleinbahn embankment. It crosses the municipality from the direction of Greifswald, passing through Klein Schönwalde and Weitenhagen, running south of Potthagen and continuing to Grubenhagen. Today, the embankment is widely used for hiking and jogging. About halfway between Weitenhagen and Grubenhagen, it passes the Tonkuhle, a popular resting spot on walks and hikes.
The landscape’s history can also be read in its paths. Northeast of the Tonkuhle, the historic Lorendamm is still visible. Clay was transported along it to the brickworks in Helmshagen. The Tonkuhle and the Lorendamm thus represent two different connections to the area: one is known as a resting spot on today’s walks, while the other recalls the former transport of clay.
Village Church and Historic Traces
The village church in Weitenhagen is mentioned as early as 1280. Since 1968, it has served as the spiritual centre of the House of Silence. The church also features specific architectural and historical details: its 15th-century brick portal has a basket-handle arch passageway and circular blind arcades. The churchyard contains three Brigitte crosses, said to commemorate Birgitta of Sweden. Together with the sexton’s house, these sites form a cultural focal point alongside the paths through the countryside.
The sexton’s house was built in 1795 and, together with Weitenhagen Church, is one of the village’s historic attractions. The House of Silence welcomes visitors in Weitenhagen to the church and its grounds.
Schwedenschanze in Different Seasons
Schwedenschanze is a popular destination for Waldströper all year round; visitors can build dens and run around there. In winter, the hills among the beeches and spruces invite you to go sledding. This seasonal option adds a specific winter experience to the hiking and jogging opportunities, without limiting a visit to just one season.
The history of the Kleinbahn is also connected with excursions in the surrounding area: after the railway opened, many people from Greifswald used it to travel to the municipality of Weitenhagen. From there, they walked past Schwedenschanze to Söllkensee. This former excursion route is part of the area’s history and should be distinguished from today’s opportunities along the Kleinbahn embankment.
More pages about the area: Levenhagen, Neuenkirchen, Hinrichshagen, Dargelin, Dersekow, Behrenhoff, Diedrichshagen and Wackerow.
For the wider travel overview: Amt Landhagen.
