Grütz is a cul-de-sac village on the Havel, situated between landscape and nature reserves. If you are considering Grütz as a place to stay, you can base your choice on specific interests: cycle paths, the needle dam at Grütz lock and the village church each offer a different focus. This gives you a choice of clearly distinct themes: cycle touring, technical heritage and village history.

Cycle paths and the needle dam

The Havel Cycle Route and the Havelland Cycle Route pass through Grütz and form part of the long-distance Hamburg–Berlin cycling route. From these routes, the needle dam can be reached in the direction of Schollene and Havelberg. Check the signage and local conditions when planning your ride.

Grütz lock features a needle dam that has rarely survived intact. Intact examples of this type are so rare in Germany that they can be counted on one hand. The dam thus adds a specific topic in the history of technology to the area’s appeal for cyclists.

Village church and local history

The open village church was rebuilt by 1806 after a fire destroyed the village in 1802. Inside is a wooden pulpit altar with folk paintings by an artist from Rathenow; stained-glass windows depict medieval figures. The bells date from 1815 and from an even earlier period. The fire, rebuilding and furnishings give the church several distinct historical connections, from the destruction of the village to its surviving decorative details. A pulpit altar combines a pulpit and an altar.

Rathenow as the wider travel destination

In the wider travel destination of Rathenow, the historic centre is on the Old Town Island, which is enclosed by four branches of the Havel. Features of the centre include parts of the old town wall, Kirchberg and St. Mary’s and St. Andrew’s Church.

The Havel Cycle Route, the Havelland Cycle Route—which forms part of the Hamburg–Berlin cycling route—and the 1,111 km Tour Brandenburg pass through Rathenow. These route details relate to Rathenow and complement the description of the cycle paths through Grütz with another named tour.

The Optik Industrie Museum Rathenow displays around 1,200 exhibits on the history of optics. Another site connected with Rathenow’s optical history is the birthplace of pastor Johann Heinrich August Duncker, opposite the church’s west portal. He operated his first optical workshop there from 1800.

Optikpark is located in the heart of Rathenow, beside a branch of the Havel. The 348 m-long Weinberg Bridge connects the park with Weinberg. A footbridge and cycle bridge connects Kirchberg with Weinberg; it was built in 2001–2002 and restores the connection after 700 years.

Rathenow municipal forest also offers its own natural attraction: it has a signposted network of walking trails and a nature trail that starts and ends at the Ferchesarer Weg forest car park.

For the wider travel overview: Rathenow.