Top 5 Castles around Dragun

The Renaissance castle from 1573 is particularly known for the detailed terracotta decorations on the facade. The 16th century building is currently being extensively renovated. The castle can be visited on guided tours at events such as the Open Monument Day. The original building of the Gadebusch Renaissance castle was a Slavic ring wall castle, which was documented on this site in the 8th century. Godebuz Castle was under Obodrite rule. From 1200 to 1204 the castle was occupied by the Danish and was then converted into a solid brick castle with a free-standing stone keep in the 13th century. From 1283 to 1299 the castle was the main residence of Mecklenburg princes. The nearby castle lake also takes its name from this period. The Barber-Ljaschtschenko Agreement (exchange of land between the British and the Soviet Union) was signed here in 1945. After 1945, the buildings were used as a museum, boarding school and later for administration. Although the castle is currently being renovated, you can visit it as part of special events and guided tours. The Gadebusch museum complex at the foot of the castle hill provides information about the history of the castle and the town. The museum courtyard with a view of the castle lake is also particularly inviting. https://www.mecklenburg-schwerin.de/unsere-region/staedte-und-orte/gadebusch/renaissance-schloss-gadebusch/index.html

Unfortunately private, so the view through the fence would have to suffice...

The castle is currently hidden behind scaffolding. There are also signs indicating that when you enter the castle grounds you are on private land.

The historic, listed Wedendorf Castle, located in the Nordwest - Mecklenburg district between the cities of Lübeck, Wismar and Schwerin, is a stately five-story building that can accommodate 71 people. Located directly on Lake Wedendorf with a view of the 800-year-old church of Kirch Grambow, the area around the four-star hotel offers opportunities for a variety of sports such as horse riding, hiking, cycling, fishing and hunting, but culture and nature lovers also come into their own Cost. In 2005, Wedendorf Castle was classified as a museum and extremely interesting to the public by the monument protection authority of the Northwest Mecklenburg district. Honorable mention went to the extensive renovation of the castle and the history of the von Bülow and von Bernstorff families, based on photos and drawings, which provide an insight into the social development of the region over the course of over 400 years. https://www.rehna.de/portal/seiten/hotel-und-museum-schloss-wedendorf-900000112-28460.html

Former neo-Gothic mansion from 1876. Privately owned, "No entry allowed"!

From the 14th to the 17th century, the estate belonged to the eponymous von Lützow family. Under the von Behrs, who took over the estate in 1846 and were joined by the von Bassewitz family through marriage in 1866, the magnificent manor house with towers, battlements, decorative gables and bay windows was built in 1876. A mausoleum of the Behr family was built in the extensive park before 1850. The park extends to the railway line, which explains its post-war use: After 1945, the castle was initially used as refugee accommodation, then until 1991 as a Reichsbahn school. From 1992, the house stood empty for almost ten years until a new owner began renovation in 2003 and now uses the property privately. https://www.mecksikon.de/?p=article&aid=237

Anyone interested in the North German brick Renaissance will find a true prime example in Gadebusch Castle. Built in 1573 by order of Duke Christoph von Mecklenburg, the picturesque castle is situated on a small hill in the middle of the small town of Gadebusch between Schwerin and Ratzeburg. Gadebusch Castle particularly impresses its visitors with its richly decorated facade. The limestone and terracotta reliefs are based on the artistically designed palazzi in Italy and show, among other things, Hanseatic and religious depictions. They were created in the workshop of Statius von Düren (ca. 1520-1570) in Lübeck. The history of the brick castle goes back to the 8th century. At that time there was a ring wall castle on the site of today's Gadebusch Castle. Surrounded by a rough landscape, it was called Godebuz. The name of the town of Gadebusch is derived from this historic building. In fact, the castle was only converted into a solid brick castle in the 13th century and since then has shone in the Mecklenburg Neo-Renaissance architectural style - the style that characterizes the current appearance of Gadebusch Castle. At that time, the castle also gained great importance as the main residence of the Mecklenburg princes. After centuries of stately existence, Gadebusch Castle was used in various ways in the 20th century, for example as a museum, boarding school, kindergarten, administration building and district court. After the current renovation of the building, it is planned as part of the “Gadebusch Castle of the Future” project to move the State Music Academy into Gadebusch Castle. The entire castle area should become a lively place full of culture and encounters. https://www.mecklenburg-schwerin.de/travel destinations/staedte-und-orte/gadebusch/schloss-gadebusch/

Hotel better avoid spacious. Hikers not welcome.