ArtHotel Kiebitzberg
ArtHotel Kiebitzberg is the only 4-star superior hotel in the Havelberg area. It sits on Schmokenberg (officially Schönberg), in park and garden, looking over the Havel landscape. The Kiebitzberg group of the Lewerken family also runs the furniture workshops and the boat yard. Room furniture comes from their own manufactory. Each room is fitted individually and to a high standard.
Who the ArtHotel suits
A good fit for couples, families and business travellers who want 4-star comfort and also art, good food and the landscape. It is a strong address for cultural trips, weddings, conferences and celebrations. Anyone visiting the Havelberg Horse Market or the boat parade who books early finds one of the few reliably upscale options in town.
The hotel speaks to people who care about craft: the furniture comes from their own workshop, the boats from their own yard. “A guest among friends” is more than a line. Renate and Andreas Lewerken and their team run the house with a presence you notice.
Where it is: Schmokenberg and Schönberger Weg
The address is Schönberger Weg 6, 39539 Havelberg. Locals say “Schmokenberg” for the hill the hotel stands on. The housing next door is “Am Schmokenberg”. Officially the name is Schönberg.
From the hotel you reach the historic island town and the cathedral on foot in about 15 to 20 minutes. The Havel lies just below. The hotel has its own landing. Two solar electric boats from the Kiebitzberg yard can be hired. Arrive by car and you park at the house. Parking is free.
- Address: Schönberger Weg 6, 39539 Havelberg
- Cathedral / island town: about 15 to 20 minutes on foot
- Own landing on the Havel
- Free parking at the hotel
History: from a health resort to an ArtHotel
Around 1900 Schmokenberg was already a favourite outing for people from Havelberg. There was a café, restaurant, beer garden and music pavilion. People spoke of the “Luftkurort Schmokenberg”. Old postcards from around 1908 show inn, garden and pavilion. People met here for fresh air, music and Sunday festivals.
The name has two roots. One story ties it to the great Wendish uprising of 983: after the castle was stormed, prisoners are said to have died in the smoke (“Schmok” in Low German). What can be shown is that the linen weaver Johann Joachim Schmok from Nitzow received permission from Frederick II to set up a damask manufactory here, against the Havelberg weavers’ guild.
Later the outing inn became “Hotel Am Schmokenberg”. It fell into disrepair until the Lewerken family thought the site anew.
The Kiebitzberg group and the Lewerken family
In 1985 Andreas Lewerken founded a small workshop for wooden toys in Havelberg. From that grew the Kiebitzberg furniture manufactory. In 1998 the boat yard was added: aluminium boats, catamarans and landing systems. The group’s motto: “Create beauty with lasting value.”
In 2010 the family bought the plot on Schmokenberg. Instead of tearing down, they built new and with care. In 2011 the guesthouse opened. In 2012 the main house followed with concert hall, winter garden, gallery and restaurant. That is how ArtHotel Kiebitzberg came about. The old place name lives on in restaurant Schmokenberg.
The same hands that make furniture and boats shaped the hotel. No two rooms are the same. Bathrooms are made from their own mineral materials. Nothing is off the peg. Hosts are Renate and Andreas Lewerken. Hotel manager Felix Goder and the team belong with them. Volksstimme regularly reports on exhibitions, concerts and step-free work at the house.
Rooms and suites
The house has about 34 comfortable rooms and suites in the garden house, guesthouse and main house. Many rooms look into the park or the landscape. The furniture comes from the Kiebitzberg workshops. Typical kit includes Wi-Fi, a safe and a minibar. No two rooms are the same.
Categories you can book include the following (names and details can shift a little; you see the live choice when you book):
- Comfort: a cosy base with warm materials, craft details and a quiet park view
- Comfort Plus: more floor space, often with an extra bed, good for more room or a third person
- Superior: larger and brighter, looking over the park; some also bookable without steps
- Superior Plus: family room with a connecting door and an extra bed
- Superior Twin: beds that can stand apart
- Suite: a separate living area, more space to arrive and stay
- Wellness suite: up to about 36 m², with its own sauna or infrared cabin, soft light and earth tones
Detailed photos, prices and dates are on the booking link.
Wellness in the house
The house has a wellness area with a bio sauna, a Finnish sauna and a rest room. If you want it more private, book a wellness suite with its own sauna or infrared cabin. Then you can unwind in your room without the shared sauna.
Massages or set diet programmes are not listed as a fixed part of the house. For food wishes (vegetarian, vegan, allergies) restaurant Schmokenberg is flexible. Special requests are best settled with the hotel before you arrive.
Arrangements and extras you can book
Besides a plain overnight stay you can add extras. Typical arrangements (examples, check the hotel website):
- Genuss & Therme (2 nights): breakfast, a 3-course menu and entry to Kristall Kur- und Gradier-Therme Bad Wilsnack including sauna time
- Natur & Rad (3 nights): breakfast, free bicycles during the stay and a lunch bag for outings
- 5 nights, pay for 4: a longer stay with a price advantage, usable with the hotel’s own offers
Add the solar boats from the house landing (ELSA 2 and RAYA, no licence needed, details below) and the culture dates in KunstQuartier. Guided town walks are not a standard hotel product. For walks through the cathedral and the island town, local guides and the notes on our Havelberg page help.
Weddings, conferences and private celebrations can be booked with food and technical kit under one roof (see meetings below).
KunstQuartier: exhibitions, concerts and more
ArtHotel here means art that is meant. Exhibitions change in the corridors and in KunstQuartier. You can visit them without staying at the hotel. Entry to the exhibitions is usually free, during house opening hours. Culture has been part of daily life here since 2013. The hotel puts it this way: art is not a label, it is lived everyday life.
Add concerts, readings, cabaret, crime dinners and other formats. The large hall with stage, red curtains and proper technical kit holds a larger audience. Over the years guests have included Dieter Hildebrandt, Christoph Hein, Wladimir Kaminer, Max Moor, Denis Scheck, Dota Kehr and many regional and wider artists. Volksstimme regularly covers first nights and series, for example exhibitions by Henry Korwald or satirical year-end reviews.
The programme is on the hotel website. Anyone combining culture and a room should book early, especially on weekends with well-known names.
Restaurant Schmokenberg
The restaurant in the ArtHotel is called Schmokenberg and cooks regional food from Elbe and Havel, with an international note and a seasonal change. There is the light winter garden, the sunny terrace to the park and the classic dining room. Inside and outside a place to stay, from a long breakfast to a glass of wine in the evening.
The kitchen works with meat, fish and strong vegetarian and vegan options. Extra wishes and allergies are taken seriously. Typical hours (changes possible, see the hotel website): Monday and Tuesday evenings, Wednesday to Saturday lunch and evening, Sunday lunch. For special occasions and groups a reservation is worth it.
Breakfast: in our experience the best in Havelberg
The breakfast buffet at the ArtHotel is generous and varied: fresh fruit, cheese and cold cuts, muesli and seeds, eggs, pastry, juices and a good coffee offer. There are vegan and vegetarian options. We eat there ourselves and recommend it without hesitation.
Breakfast without a room: that is possible. A note by the evening before is welcome. Write an email to the hotel, for example with the subject:
Breakfast buffet booking, recommended by Havelberg-Apartments.de
Then the team knows and can plan. The hotel address is arthotel@kiebitzberg.de (phone 039387 595151).
Park, garden and solar boats
The hotel has a park and garden with paths, a Japanese-inspired corner, a pavilion and quiet seats. In summer garden festivals and open-air formats take place here. The house landing and the solar electric boats from the Kiebitzberg yard make outings on the Havel simple.
Among the boats are solar catamaran ELSA 2 (up to 12 people, with table, toilet, roof and step-free access) and the slimmer solar boat RAYA (up to 8 people). Neither needs a licence. Hotel guests with at least two nights often get a weekday discount. Booking runs through reception or the hotel. A picnic basket and extra hours are possible.
Meetings, weddings, seminars and celebrations
The ArtHotel is built for events. Conferences, meetings, seminars, talks, weddings and private celebrations take place under one roof: rooms, technical kit and kitchen from one hand.
- Large hall: about 280 m², up to about 250 people, with stage plus lighting and stage kit, step-free
- Small hall: about 130 m², up to about 40 people, set back and quiet, step-free
- Winter garden: about 90 m², up to about 30 people, large windows, step-free
- Havelblick: about 40 m², up to about 20 people, panorama windows and a balcony
- Backstage: about 33 m², up to about 10 people, step-free
- Park / green lawn: flexible use outdoors
Capacities and kit should be agreed with the hotel for your date. That applies especially to weddings and larger company events.
Step-free access
There is a lift. Several areas and at least one suite are laid out for a wheelchair. The large and small halls plus winter garden and Backstage are marked step-free. One of the solar boats (ELSA 2) is also step-free. For exact needs on bathroom, door widths and parking, speak to the hotel before you book or check the booking page. Volksstimme has reported on the removal of barriers in the house. The subject is taken seriously here.
Around the hotel
From here you reach the cathedral and the island town on foot. The Middle Elbe biosphere reserve, Haus der Flüsse, the stork village Rühstädt and the cable ferry at Sandau lie in the nearer region. Cyclists find links to the known routes on Havel and Elbe. Bad Wilsnack with the Wunderblutkirche and Kristalltherme is a classic day trip.
For Horse Market week and the boat parade, book early. Many beds in town are then taken.
Practical notes
- Address: Schönberger Weg 6, 39539 Havelberg
- Phone: 039387 595151
- Hotel email: arthotel@kiebitzberg.de
- Stars: 4-star superior (DEHOGA)
- Parking: free parking at the house
- Boats: own landing, solar boats ELSA 2 and RAYA (no licence)
- Art: exhibitions free during house hours
- Sauna: large sauna in the house, wellness suites with their own sauna
Questions that come up
Can I come only for breakfast?
Yes. A note by the evening before helps. Email arthotel@kiebitzberg.de (subject is pre-filled).
Are dogs allowed?
Dogs are possible in selected rooms. The exact terms are on the booking or on request at the hotel.
Is there a restaurant for hotel guests?
Yes, restaurant Schmokenberg is in the house. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are possible (check opening hours).
How far is the island town?
About 15 to 20 minutes on foot. A few minutes by car; parking in the old town is limited.
Our recommendation
If you want to stay in Havelberg with comfort, a good breakfast and a cultural setting, ArtHotel Kiebitzberg is the clearest choice in town. It is the only 4-star superior hotel in the area, family-run and close to the craft of the Kiebitzberg group. For the Horse Market, a longer stay or a quiet short break between Elbe and Havel, book early.
Map
Red marker: this stay. The other pins are nearby places to stay. Map: OpenStreetMap.
