Friedrichsthal lies on the edge of the Lower Oder Valley National Park, and the Oder–Neiße Cycle Route also passes through the village. The landscape, cycling and history of a historic roadside village offer different focal points for planning a trip. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, you can consider whether cycling tours, the village church or the village layout should determine your stay.
Village Landscape in the Lower Oder Valley
Friedrichsthal features the continuous development characteristic of a historic roadside village. Gardens for practical use and fruit trees behind the houses border open fields. Zone I “Kleines Bruch” of the Lower Oder Valley National Park covers around 46 hectares in the town of Gartz (Oder), Friedrichsthal cadastral district, Section 4.
Village Church and Historic Landmarks
Friedrichsthal village church has a richly carved pulpit dating from 1700. It comes from St Mary’s Church in Stettin and was installed in 1834. The Brandenburg state list of historic monuments for the Uckermark district includes the village church, a milepost on the B 2 at kilometre 403.2 and a half-mile post at kilometre 405.2 near the Grenzhaus. The settlement of Huguenot families is also part of Friedrichsthal’s history.
Cycling Routes and Birdwatching
The Oder–Neiße Cycle Route passes through Friedrichsthal and along the Hohensaaten–Friedrichsthal Waterway. The waterway itself runs for 42 kilometres parallel to the Oder, as far as its confluence with the Westoder at Friedrichsthal.
The Crane Cycling Tour offers a different focus: it runs partly on car-free routes through the Lower Oder Valley National Park, Germany’s only floodplain national park and a crane roosting area. Observation towers and the Oder slopes along the route offer ideal conditions for birdwatching. From Friedrichsthal, the tour leads through a pine forest towards the national park’s Teerofenbrücke Wilderness School; on the way back to Friedrichsthal, it follows the Hohensaaten–Friedrichsthal Waterway. The two tours therefore offer different highlights: the waterway on the Oder–Neiße Cycle Route, and the national park and birdwatching on the Crane Cycling Tour.
Bus Connections and More Culture
Bus services connect Friedrichsthal with Schwedt and Gartz. If you plan to travel by bus, check the timetable before your trip.
In the wider destination of Gartz (Oder), a walking tour introduces the town’s history, from its Slavic beginnings through its medieval heyday and the Brandenburg-Prussian era to its present-day status as a border town. A city map leaflet and QR codes on the information boards at the sights make it easier to find your way around on a walking tour of Gartz (Oder). The Ackerbürgermuseum is housed in the former gatekeeper’s house and the adjoining half-timbered house at Stettiner Tor. It shows life in a town of smallholder farmers in the 18th and 19th centuries; check current opening hours by phone.
The time of year also shapes Gartz (Oder)’s cultural programme: during the summer months, concerts and events are held outdoors at St. Stephen’s Church. Crane Days are celebrated every year in Gartz (Oder) and Mescherin in late September and/or early October, with a programme centred on the crane. Check specific event dates before your trip.
Discover more destinations: Uckerfelde, Lychen, Flieth-Stegelitz, Brüssow, Zichow, Schenkenberg, Wolfshagen, Randowtal.
See the main travel overview: Uckermark.
