Attractions and Places To See around Sarnow - Top 20

During the heaviest bombing raid on Anklam on October 9, 1943, the window panes of St. Nicholas' Church were destroyed by pressure waves and splinters from the bombs hitting the area, and the copper covering of the tower was significantly damaged[1]. However, the church itself was not hit. The church was not destroyed until April 29, 1945 by German shelling from the village of Ziethen, north of Anklam[2] on the town, which was already occupied by the Red Army. The spire fell into the nave. Part of the spire was found in 2022 during construction work on a sidewalk in front of the church. The tower ball, which traditionally also contained contemporary historical records, remains missing, however.[3] The church partially burned down, only the stump of the tower and the surrounding walls with free pillars and transverse arches remained standing. After the war, the ruins were made provisionally secure. Only the south extension with the two chapels, the south entrance and the sacristy were roofed over again and used temporarily by the parish, while the tower was made temporarily accessible and provided with a small spire so that the tower could be used as a platform for radio antennas. The nave remained exposed to the elements for over 50 years. Source https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolaikirche_(Anklam)

Construction began around 1280 and was completed by the end of the 14th century. The church was first mentioned in documents in 1300. It is named after Nicholas of Myra, who is considered the patron saint of sailors. St. Nicholas' Church was finally completed around 1500 with the installation of the choir stalls. In contrast to St. Mary's Church with its Romanesque origins, St. Nicholas' Church is a purely Gothic building, although a previous church had already been built in 1180. Until it was destroyed, the church was considered a landmark of Anklam and was a pilot's mark that was visible from afar. St. Nicholas' Church around 1972 with a secure, walkable tower Condition of the ruins in the 1970s The important brick Gothic building is a three-aisled hall church with a four-story tower and sacristy. The nave was covered with a large gable roof until 1945. The tower has always had a high Gothic spire over 100 metres high, which was damaged and restored several times by lightning strikes and storms. Together with St. Mary's Church, which received a similar spire at the end of the 19th century, both churches formed the unmistakable townscape of Anklam with their "twin towers". The spire of St. Nicholas had a special feature: its spire showed a clearly visible twist. It was popularly said that the devil himself had twisted the spire. On June 25, 1848, the aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal was baptized in St. Nicholas Church, whose birthplace was in the immediate vicinity of the church. The interior was richly decorated with valuable furnishings. Despite being stored away during the Second World War, some parts are still missing today. Others, such as the magnificent candlesticks, the apostle bell and parts of the choir stalls, are now in Anklam's St. Mary's Church and in the Stralsund Cultural History Museum. Medieval frescoes on the side walls and pillars have only been preserved in fragments. Qhttps://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rathaus_Anklam

The Garrison Church or Holy Spirit Church is, alongside the two large town churches, the third and smallest church building in the Anklam town center in Western Pomerania. The Holy Spirit Church was first mentioned in 1272. In the style of the time, it was a brick Gothic building, but burned down in 1376. After being rebuilt, the brick building was destroyed again by fire in 1659. The church was rebuilt in the Baroque style for the Prussian garrison in 1738 and served as the garrison church from then on. During the French occupation from 1806 to 1808, it was used as a field bakery. From 1854 onwards, the building no longer served any ecclesiastical purposes and was converted to residential purposes. In the Second World War, the Garrison Church was badly damaged and after the war it was rebuilt with a slightly modified spire and prepared as a residential building for senior citizens until 1955. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Garrison Church was restored. It is located together with the Heilig-Geist-Stift (today the city administration/town hall II) near the Peene in the city center. In the inner courtyard of the two buildings there was a cemetery for inmates who had no money for a burial. Source https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zecheriner_Br%C3%BCcke

Beautiful view of the Peene from the bridge

Until 2000, old prefabricated buildings still stood on the market square. By 2018, excavations had secured the foundations of the old town hall, which was located in the middle of the square. The prefabricated buildings were demolished and replaced by typical market buildings. The market square has inscriptions in the ground that reflect the history of Anklam and the Greifenbrunnen was placed in the middle of the square. Over the last 20 years, the market square has developed into a very beautiful central square!

From the bridge you have a good view, both of the Peene, the harbor and the western side of Anklam with the city skyline and St. Mary's Church. From here you can easily watch sunsets.

The Lilienthal Museum in Anklam is a worthwhile excursion destination not only for aviation enthusiasts and those interested in history. The bright room with all the old aircraft appears almost unique. There are stations for children to test physical principles.

Nikolai Church