Monastery, Baroque Gardens & Brewery Tour: Neuzelle

Difficulty: Easy: hiking through small village and monastery garden

Included:

• Entrance to monastery
• Brewery Tour
• Complimentary beer
• Community leader & Local guide for the entire duration

WHY GO?

Located a few hours outside of Berlin, Neuzelle is home to some of the best Medieval monuments. Over 750 years, the Neuzelle Abbey has been one of the best preserved monasteries in the world. The “Baroque marvel of Brandenburg” is among the most significant artistic treasures in the state, and offers a unique blend of architecture, culture, and garden art.

Our day trip will visit the monastery, the Protestant Church of the Holy Cross, while admiring the remarkable frescoes and artworks. The tour will also visit the pristine, baroque gardens and Orangerie. After walking through the spectacular village and taking in the sights, we will then visit the Neuzelle Monastery Brewery, one of the largest beer enterprises in the state. The private tour will take in the Monasteries' beer-making history, explain the manufacturing process, and include a beer tasting session at the end.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS?

• Kloster Neuzelle: One of Central Europe´s architectural gems, Neuzelle Abbey T is one of the few fully preserved examples of Cistercian architecture. At the centre of Neuzelle Abbey there is St. Mary´s Catholic Church with its 70-metre-high bell tower, which is the town´s landmark.
  
• Neuzelle Brewery; Dating back to the 1500s, the Monastery Brewery is famous in the region for its "Schwarzer Abt" (Black Abbot), porter, and fruit beers.
  
• Barockgarten Neuzelle; The five-hectare monastery garden in Neuzelle is the only Baroque garden in Brandenburg and is one of the most important gardens in Germany. The view over the Baroque garden and the Oder lowlands from the monastery is among the most beautiful in the state of Brandenburg.
  
• Church of the Holy Cross: This ecclesiastic building is another testimony to splendid Baroque architecture with a fresco measuring 128 squaremetres.

The hike is guided by Dan Cole, an experienced tour guide and hiker, and author of several books, including Beer Hiking Berlin. Dan is also a journalist for Lonely Planet and Easyjet Magazine and offers varying tours across the country for various levels of hikers. Alongside tour guiding Dan also runs a music podcast, and writes for different music magazines.