Lake Müritz

The second largest lake in Germany, Lake Müritz sprawls across 117 square kilometers in the south of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It’s fed by the River Elbe and descends to a maximum depth of 31 meters, with its surrounding forests and wildlife-rich wetlands protected as the Müritz National Park. It’s easily accessed from the town of Waren on its northern tip or Röbel, which overlooks the Binnensee on the lake’s western shores.

A good first port of call is the Müritzeum visitor center and nature discovery center that is situated near the town of Waren. It explores the region’s history, as well as the native flora and fauna of the Müritz National Park. It boasts the larg-est aquarium for native freshwater fish in Germany, as well as themed exhibi-tions detailing Lake Müritz's underwater world, birdlife and the 1000-year-old oaks of nearby Ivenack. If you’re traveling with kids, they can let off some steam in the adventure playground and garden or step into the cinema to get an insight into the fascinating history of Mecklenburg.

Take time to explore the forests, swamps and meadows of the Müritz National Park, which is divided into two separate areas - Müritz and Serrahn. Müritz ex-tends from the eastern shores of Lake Müritz to the town of Neustrelitz, while the Serrahn section lies further east.

The national park boasts more than 650 kilometers of walking trails that lead through its ancient beech forests and juniper meadows, with around 130 lakes included within its borders. Keep your eye out for red deer and white-tailed ea-gles, as well as ospreys, black storks and reed warblers. Cycle trails also weave through the Müritz National Park while canoeing and boat trips along the lakes and rivers offer a different perspective on its magnificent landscape.