Banzkow potato stone mouse on the Banzkow village square

The Banzkow potato mouse from Stein has been welcoming guests from near and far to the village square since 2000. The mouse is originally dressed for special occasions in village life. It stands in the middle of several boulders typical of the region, which bear the medals won in regional, national and European competitions. The potato mouse was "born" as a permanent mascot for the 700th anniversary celebrations of the municipality of Banzkow in 2000. Today it is available as a small souvenir, as a large wooden mouse from a Lewit oak tree in the Mirow district, as a stone mouse on the Banzkow village square and as a living original with an identity card as resident no. 2235. The stone mouse is made up of granite stones that "migrated" from Finland to this area 1.89 billion years ago during the Ice Age. The individual body parts were found like this and have therefore hardly been worked on. The public baptism of the stone mouse with sturgeon water took place in 2005. To mark the occasion, a schoolgirl wrote "The Fairy Tale of the Potato Mouse", which was printed with pupils' drawings from a competition. The living potato mouse is present at all the highlights of the municipality and the office. She is also in great demand and popular as an ambassador for the region in her rustic, mobile, thatched cottage. She has already been a guest in over 20 European countries and at many trade fairs to promote Lewitz and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In 2014, for example, she visited all the twin towns of the state capital Schwerin, the partner regions of the state of MV and the partner municipality of Banzkow on a trip around the Baltic Sea. This trip not only served to revitalize partnership relations and tourism, but above all to promote the idea of friendship in Europe. The information board next to the stone mouse provides information about interesting excursion destinations in and around Banzkow, as well as in the entire Lewitz nature reserve.

The Banzkow potato stone mouse - mascot made from granite boulders

In the middle of the village square in Banzkow, the Banzkow potato stone mouse has been welcoming visitors from near and far since 2000. The charming figure was created as a permanent mascot to mark the 700th anniversary of the municipality. Particularly remarkable: its body parts are made of granite stones that were formed in Finland around 1.89 billion years ago and arrived in this area during the Ice Age. The individual stones have hardly been worked at all - the way they were found, they fit together to form the mouse. In 2005, the stone mouse was ceremoniously baptized with sturgeon water.

The Banzkow potato mouse - a mascot in many guises

The potato mouse exists in several versions: as a stone mouse on the village square, as a large wooden mouse from a Lewiteiche tree in the Mirow district, as a souvenir and even as a "living original" with its own identity card as resident no. 2235. On special occasions in village life, the stone mouse is dressed up in an original way. Surrounding it are several typical boulders bearing medals from regional, national and European competitions. An information board next to the stone mouse provides information about interesting excursion destinations in and around Banzkow and the entire Lewitz landscape conservation area.

Ambassador for the Lewitz and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

As an ambassador for the Lewitz and the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the lively potato mouse has traveled far and wide - in her rustic, thatched cottage, she has already been a guest in over 20 European countries and at numerous trade fairs. In 2014, she visited all the twin towns of the state capital Schwerin and the state's partner regions on a trip around the Baltic Sea. This trip was all about tourism, international understanding and living European friendship - and makes the Banzkow potato mouse an unusual ambassador far beyond Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Journey to Banzkow for the Potato Stone Mouse

Banzkow is easy to reach by train - the nearest train stations are Plate (Mecklenburg) around 3.4 km away and Sukow (near Schwerin) around 4.5 km away. By car, the freeway access is via the Plater Berg parking lot (approx. 3.4 km) or the Schwerin-Ost slip road (approx. 7.7 km). If you are visiting the Baltic Sea coast or cities such as Wismar, Rostock or Schwerin, Banzkow is a good destination for a day trip.

Banzkower potato stone mouse

The Banzkow potato stone mouse - mascot made from granite boulders

Accommodation auf Schwerin & Umgebung

AMEDIA Plaza Schwerin

AWO SANO - Holiday Center Schweriner See

JuGeLy" studio