Damshagen can be explored through three distinct themes: the medieval St. Thomas Church, the reconstructed Stone Age Village of Kussow and the vegetarian cuisine associated with Gutshaus Stellshagen. Architecture, a reconstructed settlement and a culinary highlight thus sit side by side. For your planning, you can narrow down your choices according to whether you are especially interested in architectural history, the open-air museum or food.
St. Thomas Church: Brick Gothic architecture and historic furnishings
St. Thomas Church in Damshagen is a Brick Gothic brick building dating from the 14th century. Parts of a zigzag frieze have been preserved, and there are also two historic chapels on the north side. A frieze is a horizontal decorative band. The zigzag pattern is a specific architectural detail, while the side chapels add to the building’s spatial layout. You can therefore appreciate the church not only for its age, but also for its construction, ornamentation and design.
Several periods are represented in the church interior as well: preserved features include a baptismal font from the 13th century, an altar crucifix from the 15th century and a pulpit altar dating from 1724. The furnishings thus range from medieval pieces to the early 18th century. A baptismal font is used for baptisms; a pulpit altar combines a pulpit and an altar. The different dates give you several specific points of reference for understanding the interior furnishings. If you would also like to see inside the church, please check the current access arrangements in advance.
Kussow Stone Age Village: a reconstructed settlement
The Kussow Stone Age Village is located in the municipality of Damshagen and is an open-air museum. A Stone Age settlement was reconstructed there between 1996 and 1998. These dates refer to the reconstruction work, not to the age of the settlement depicted. This clearly distinguishes it from St. Thomas Church: the museum focuses on a reconstructed settlement, while the church is a historic brick building with furnishings dating from specific periods. The Stone Age Village is open to visitors. Check the current opening hours and visitor information before your visit.
Vegetarian cuisine in Damshagen
Vegetarian cuisine is part of the profile of Gutshaus Stellshagen. If you would like to plan your meals around it, check the current menu and availability in advance. This keeps the culinary aspect as a separate planning consideration alongside the town’s historical and cultural themes.
In the wider destination of Northwest Mecklenburg
The varied landscapes of the wider destination of Northwest Mecklenburg also provide a broader regional context. In the north, it includes the “Northwest Mecklenburg Hills with Wismar Bay” landscape area; in the south, the “West Mecklenburg Lake District with Lake Schwerin.” Northwest Mecklenburg is also characterized by terminal moraine ridges, gently rolling ground moraine plateaus, steep and gently sloping stretches of coast, glacial meltwater and drainage channels, and outwash plains. These terms bring the region’s diverse landforms into focus, from coastal stretches to undulating terrain.
Other regional highlights include Gadebusch Castle in Gadebusch, in the district of Northwest Mecklenburg. Built in 1573, this Renaissance castle is considered a rare example of Mecklenburg or North German Brick Renaissance architecture; its features include reliefs in the regional Johann Albrecht style. The “Radegast Valley” landscape conservation area offers a different perspective: it covers about 600 hectares between the southern edge of Rehna and Lake Neddersee near Gadebusch. The protected area includes the Radegast’s highly meandering, near-natural course, along with adjacent grassland, reed beds, wooded areas and swamp forests. Cultural history and landscape conservation are thus two distinct themes within the wider destination of Northwest Mecklenburg.
Discover more destinations: Klütz, Kalkhorst, Hohenkirchen, Zierow, Boltenhagen
Return to the wider travel overview: Klützer Winkel District.
