Hintersee’s history can be seen in the village and on the surrounding trails. Two distinct routes provide clear directions: an approximately eight-kilometre cycling route runs between Hintersee and Rieth along a former railway line; a hiking trail leads towards Szczecin as far as the Barnim Cross. Together with the village church and historic houses, they offer a varied view of the village and its landscape.
Village History and St. John’s Church
Hintersee developed from the colony of Zopfenbeck, founded around 1745 on the southern shore of the former Ahlbeck Lake. Old and converted half-timbered houses recall this period of settlement. The village also features restored settlers’ houses with kitchen gardens and courtyards. The houses provide a visible architectural trace of the settlement’s history.
St. John’s Church was completed in 1899. Its organ, however, dates back to the early 19th century: it was built by the Grüneberg organ-building company in Szczecin, making it older than the church. One of the two bells also dates from before the church was built. The baptismal font, in turn, dates from the period when the church was constructed. These details make the different layers of history in the church complex tangible without presenting them as a single construction phase.
Hiking Trail, Cycling Route and Landscape
The hiking trail from Hintersee towards Szczecin extends as far as Barnim Cross, near the Polish border. Local tradition connects this place with Duke Barnim II: he is said to have died there in 1295. The route can thus be linked to a story from Pomeranian history while retaining its status as a local tradition.
For a cycling trip, an approximately eight-kilometre cycling route runs between Hintersee and Rieth along the former Randower Kleinbahn railway line. Old railway signs recall the route’s former use; the path is also part of the long-distance Oder–Neisse Cycle Route. Check the waymarking and the condition of the route before setting off, as the surface and usability may change.
Between Rieth and Hintersee, extensive middle-aged pine forests stretch across the Riether Neuhaus forestry district. Hintersee also lies at the southeastern end of the Ahlbeck Lake Depression, a wetland designated a nature reserve in 1987. Please observe the current access conditions when visiting.
The Wider Natural Region of Vorpommern-Greifswald
The wider travel destination of Vorpommern-Greifswald offers a varied landscape: Am Stettiner Haff Nature Park is characterised by undeveloped lagoon shores, lagoon meadows, the extensive forests of the Ueckermünder Heide, river lowlands and the Brohmer Mountains. The Ueckermünder Heide is considered one of Central Europe’s largest contiguous forest areas. The three nature parks in Vorpommern-Greifswald district cover almost 40 per cent of the district’s area.
The region also offers more than the two routes near Hintersee. The Stettiner Haff and the UeckermĂĽnder Heide have a wide range of hiking and cycling tours, where you can explore nature and places of interest independently. The UeckermĂĽnder Heide also invites visitors to go horseback riding. This broader perspective is useful if you would like to consider Hintersee as part of a larger nature holiday; it complements the specific trails and sights in the village.
Discover more destinations: Torgelow-Holländerei, Grambin, Meiersberg, Altwarp, Leopoldshagen, Mönkebude, Eggesin, Vogelsang-Warsin.
To the wider travel overview: Am Stettiner Haff Municipality.
