Giant sequoias near Kölpin

Two California giant sequoias stand near Kölpin in the Sternberg Lake District Nature Park, with one rising above 40 meters tall and measuring about 2 meters across. The towering conifers with their reddish-brown trunks form an unusual contrast to the flat northern German landscape.

The trees were planted in the 1870s under estate owner Julius Hüniken and forester Heinrich Hagge, bringing California native species to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. This planting reflected a broader interest in exotic species among European forest managers of that era.

A memorial at the base honors Heinrich Hagge, who managed the forest estate from 1875 to 1904. The trees stand as a mark of the forestry heritage that shaped this region.

The sequoias are reached by following a roughly 350-meter path marked with wooden signs that starts west of the L 9 state road. The walk is straightforward and the terrain offers no major obstacles or inclines.

The two trees are accompanied by two small ponds, including the larger Schapwäsch pond whose name comes from Low German and originally referred to a place for washing sheep. This link to traditional grazing practices shows how the land was historically used.