Britz brings together two distinct interests: the architectural history of the village church and the landscape of the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve. This gives the choice of destination both a cultural and a nature-focused dimension. Those interested in architecture can trace the church’s different construction phases; those who enjoy spending time outdoors will find circular routes and swimming opportunities in the surrounding natural landscape.
Getting Here and Finding Your Way
Britz is connected by road, rail, and cycling and hiking routes. There is a park-and-ride facility at Britz station. As its status may change, please check before travelling whether the facility is currently available. The various transport links provide a framework for planning your journey without presupposing a particular mode of transport.
Britz Village Church: Architectural Styles and Organ History
Britz Village Church is a fieldstone church dating from the 13th century, designed as a hall church. Its building history, however, did not end with this early date: alterations in 1895 and 1934 had a major influence on its present appearance. The medieval church and its later modifications thus represent distinct stages.
Baroque window bays divide the long sides of the façades; a curved Neo-Baroque gable is on the east side. The exterior and interior were completely renovated between 2006 and 2008. The church thus brings together several design phases: the 13th-century architectural form and fieldstone masonry, Baroque and Neo-Baroque details, and a comprehensive renovation in the 21st century.
The church’s organ history also provides a distinct point of reference in time. Carl August Buchholz built the village church’s first organ in 1846. The organ was completely restored by Schuke in 2017. These dates distinguish the construction of the first instrument from its later restoration, adding the history of the church’s furnishings to the architectural perspective.
Natural Landscape and Regional Routes
The municipality of Britz lies within the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve. The reserve’s landscape includes around 240 lakes, thousands of fens, and extensive meadows and fields. A network of circular routes passes through forests, lakes, and fen landscapes; there are also swimming opportunities at clear lakes. Please check the conditions at individual routes and bathing spots separately before planning your day.
The reserve is home to populations of several eagle species, cranes and black storks, as well as beavers and otters. Its variety of species adds another dimension of nature to the landscape. When planning your time outdoors, you can distinguish between hiking, swimming, and experiencing the natural environment as a subject for observation, without associating these options with any one specific place or route.
Barnim as a Wider Regional Setting
The wider travel destination of Barnim offers additional cultural and technical attractions. Chorin Abbey is a key work of North German Brick Gothic architecture. Niederfinow Boat Lift is Germany’s oldest working boat lift; the Finow Canal is considered Germany’s oldest artificial waterway still navigable by boat. This makes it possible to distinguish Britz Village Church as a local architectural attraction from the wider region’s other highlights.
Cycling and hiking routes also cover a wider area in Barnim: the district’s cycle route network totals 610 kilometres. The 143-kilometre circular hiking trail “Around the Schorfheide” passes through Barnim Nature Park. The Tourist Information Centre at Chorin Abbey is a point of contact for questions about tourist services in the Schorfheide-Chorin region; please check current opening hours before visiting.
Discover more destinations: Schorfheide, Oderberg, Hohenfinow, Parsteinsee, AlthĂĽttendorf, Eberswalde, Liepe, Werneuchen.
Go to the broader travel overview: Barnim.
