Prohn: Reservoir, bird stopover and local history

Prohn lies about 5 km north of Stralsund, on the edge of the Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft Nature Reserve. Three themes can help you decide whether the village is right for your trip: the circular route around Prohn Reservoir, seasonal stopovers by migratory birds, and the church’s architectural history. This gives you a clear choice between landscapes, outdoor activities and local history.

Nature and seasonal bird stopovers

In spring and autumn, cranes and other migratory birds stop for many weeks in the meadows and fields around Prohn and on Prohn Lake. If this natural setting is important to you, you can plan your trip around either of these periods. The stopover lasts for many weeks, making the season more significant than a single day of birdwatching.

Circular route around the reservoir and cycling

The circular route around Prohn Reservoir is 4.3 km long and takes about 1.5 hours. It starts and ends at Prohn Church. From the starting point, the route follows Damitzer Weg and Witzlawstraße to the dam, then continues along a field path, past the bathing area and Damitz Harbour. The hiking trail on the south side of the reservoir leads back to the church. The distance and approximate duration help you plan the loop as a separate activity. Check current trail conditions locally if your plans depend on them.

Prohn also has a well-developed network of cycle paths. This complements the specific loop around the reservoir with another way to explore the area. If you are weighing up walking and cycling for your trip, you have two different options: a route with a set distance and approximate duration, or the cycle path network as a feature of the area.

The architectural history of Prohn Church

Prohn Church brings together several datable building phases. The square, late Romanesque choir was built after 1250; the two-aisled, two-bay nave was constructed in the 14th century. These architectural terms describe the nave’s division into two aisles and two bays. During building work from 1858 to 1862, Lübke had a towering neo-Gothic tower with a pointed spire built in front of the existing tower stump. The church’s architectural history thus spans the medieval choir and nave through to the 19th-century tower.

Individual furnishings can also be dated. The church’s oldest item of inventory is a rood cross group from the 15th century; it is now located above the modern altar table. Elias Kessler made the suspended, gilded baptismal angel in 1727/1728. This lets you explore the church’s history through two distinct perspectives: its architecture and its furnishings.

The Prohn local history room is located in the community centre. As another local point of interest, it complements the church’s specific architectural and furnishing details with a cultural history theme of its own.

The wider region: Vorpommern-Rügen

The district of Vorpommern-Rügen includes the island of Rügen and the nearby islands of Hiddensee and Ummanz. The Old Town of the Hanseatic City of Stralsund is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar.” These examples illustrate the wider regional context alongside Prohn’s local themes.

Discover more destinations: Kramerhof, Groß Mohrdorf, Klausdorf, Preetz, Altenpleen.

For the wider travel overview: Amt Altenpleen.