Dreams on the Water

Many people say that the best views of this holiday landscape are those gained from the water. There is scarcely anyone who does not spend at least a few hours on the rivers or lakes: getting away from it all, going with the flow, enjoying the palpable peace and quiet. Others undertake extended sightseeing tours. They disappear for days in the great labyrinth of lakes and waterways, whether in a cosy houseboat, a well-appointed yacht or a nimble canoe. The most important areas for water sports include Lake Mueritz, the Schwerin lakes, Plauer See lake, the rivers Warnow and Peene and the Mueritz-Elde-Waterway. The latter crosses the southern part of the region like a silver ribbon. This idyllic waterway has no ninety-degree turns and fast lane. Along its 120 glittering kilometres 17 locks negotiate a difference in altitude of 49 m and enforce a leisurely pace. Near Doemitz the “blue highway” flows into the Elbe and offers a connection to Hamburg, among other places. At the other end it leads through the Plauer See lake to the Mueritz-Havel Waterway and Berlin. Halfway along its course one can fork off to the magnificent Lake Schwerin.

The longest river in the region, the Warnow, like many other rivers and numerous lakes in the region, is an open invitation to go water trekking, angling or bathing, and flows through the Sternberg Lake District, mostly at an easy pace but at some points as “white water”, towards the Baltic.

Everywhere there is provision for boat crews. Little stopovers and bigger harbours offer more than just a place to drop anchor; and everywhere it is worth breaking one’s journey and taking shore leave.