Sztynort Palace, Palace in Sztynort, Poland

Sztynort Palace is a long, low palace on a peninsula between Lake Dargin and Lake Mauersee, with a red clay tile roof and a pale, weathered facade showing plaster loss and exposed brick. Its central section rises to a taller gabled block with three pointed gables and a small dormer at the ridge; symmetrical two-storey wings extend left and right, and a short flight of steps leads to the central doorway.

The Lehndorff family held Steinort from the early 16th century, when they were enfeoffed with the so-called Steinorter Wildnis. The manor house was built by Eleonore von Lehndorff, third wife of Ahasverus (born 1637). Neglected since the First World War, the palace was thoroughly restored in the late 1930s under the most experienced restorer of the Royal Palaces in Berlin and was in flawless condition until the Red Army arrived in January 1945.

The village and estate of Steinort were the ancestral seat of the von Lehndorff family until 1945. Meinhard von Lehndorff laid out the park and an oak avenue, and an oak was planted for each child born at Steinort. The family burial chapel was designed by Berlin architect Friedrich August Stüler.

The building is undergoing restoration and can be visited through guided tours organized at specific times by heritage organizations. Visitors should check in advance when tours are available to plan their visit accordingly.

The oak avenue was planted by Meinhard von Lehndorff, and one oak stands for each child born to the family at Steinort. The baroque carved and painted wooden ceilings of the central section, about 1,500 m², were removed for safekeeping, disinfected and impregnated, and are stored elsewhere while the building is secured.