Planning a paddling tour in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte? Look no further! Here’s everything you need to know about spending one day to a full week in the Klein Seenplatte.
Getting There
It’s very easy to get to the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte by public transport. The Berlin-Brandenburg ticket, which is good for up to 5 people for one price of 29€, will take you as far as Waren. We used this ticket to take us to Neustrelitz and then hopped on the local Hans train to Wesenberg (which is a separate cost, but for 2+ people it’s better to get the BB ticket in conjunction). You can also take the Hans as far as Mirow, which I’ve been wanting to visit (because there’s a castle!) but haven’t made it on either of my tours just yet.
Equipment
Our rental price and what it included seemed pretty standard for the area. For 60€ apiece, we each had a kayak (Kajak), paddle (Paddel), life vest (Schwimmweste), two 40L dry bags (dry Säcke), and spray skirt (Spraydecke). Together, we got a sponge, map with waterproof case, and a lock (to help identify our boats on shore, not to prevent theft). We also got information about a route that would fit our timeline.
If you’re going camping, of course you’ll need to bring your own camping equipment…more on that below!
Some Outfitters and their Locations:
- *Kanu-Mühle – Wesenberg
- Pack und Paddel – Fleether Mühle
- Kanuhof Wustrow – Wustrow
- Kanustation Mirow – Mirow
- Kanustation-Priepert – Priepert
- Kanatu Kanuverleih und Kanushop – Priepert
- Floss- und Kanutouren – Strassen
- Bibertours – am Labussee
- Biberferienhof – Diemitz
Accommodation
As a Wasserwanderer (water wanderer), you are always welcome to stay at a campsite. Even when extremely full, you will find a spot to pitch your tent! There are many “normal” campsites with facilities, which cost around 14-20€ per night for 2 campers. There are also Wildplätze (wild campsites) along the way. If you stay at one, please be sure to leave no trace and bring plenty of water! Also note that building a fire pretty much anywhere in Germany is not allowed (verboten, untersagt, nicht erstattet, unerlaubt, etc.), so please respect these rules.
If camping isn’t your thing, not to worry (as long as planning is your thing!). Many campsites have apartment-like accommodation called Ferienwohnung or Ferienhäuser to rent, but they are limited in number, so you do need to book early for peak times (like holiday weekends or school vacations). Also available are hut-like accommodations. More or less, a room big enough for a bed with windows and a door which shuts. So more comfort than a tent, but less than a hotel room.
Campsites:
- *Havelperle – Priepert
- *Naturcampingplatz C24 (Bibertours) – am Labussee, I would try Biberferienhof next time!
- *Camping Gobenowsee – near Seewalde
- Kanu-Mühle – Wesenberg
- Natur Camping am Ellbogensee – Grossmenow (we stayed here while hiking from Fürstenberg)
- Naturcamping am Großen Pälitzsee – Pelzkuhl
- Campingplatz Canow – Canow
- Camp am Labussee – outside Canow
- Biberferienhof – Diemitz
- Ferienidyll am Rätzsee – Fleether Mühle
- Kanuhof Wustrow – Wustrow
(* Star marks campsites and the outfitter we used for our tour)
Tours
Many of the rental joints also offer guided tours, provided you book them in advance. They also will give advice on where to go if you’re planning the tour on your own.
If you’d like to go with a few ideas in mind already, here are some helpful tips for multiday tours and single day tours from the Kanu-Mühle (in German, but easy to follow). The lists include everything from length in time and distance, to camping and grocery possibilities, to places where the boat must be carried, to special remarks about places to take a break, where to eat, and what’s worth seeing. Even though the tours start and end at the Kanu-Mühle, any which are round trip (Rundtour) can be started anywhere along the way.
Our 4-day tour (tour #2 from above, Grosse 10 Seen Rundtour) consisted of 40 km through Finowsee, Großer Priepertsee, Kleiner Pälitzsee, Canower See, Labussee, Großer Peetschsee, Rätzsee, Gobenowsee, Klenzsee, and Plätlinsee before taking the Schwaanhavel and returning to the Kanu-Mühle. This tour can be done in 3 days or shortened in distance by cutting out Großer Peetschsee and Rätzsee.
A great day tour is from the Kanuhof Wustrow. You can do this 16 km tour in either direction. It includes the Plätlinsee, Pälitzsee, Labussee, and Gobenowsee. These are really excellent lakes!
Food on the Water
Vegetarians beware! This area of Germany isn’t yet so zen with the veggie lifestyle. I made this mistake BIG TIME during my first tour here. I was majorly under-prepared and only ate bread with jam for 5 days. Plan to pack lots of food. The campsites often have kiosks and some are better than others. So don’t count on doing major grocery shopping on the way.
The campsites will either have some hot food for sale on site or there might be a restaurant nearby. Again, for vegetarians it is reallllly hard to find something on the menu without meat, fish, or both! For breakfast, it is often possible to order fresh bread (rolls and croissants) the evening before hand. Many also have butter and jam pads for sale as well.
Something I found really cool is that there are several spots on the water where you can dock your boat and grab a bite to eat (provided you eat fish). Many of them are not to find on the map, so enjoy these pots of gold when you paddle across them.
Paddler Know-How
- boats bigger than you have the right of way, stay out of the way!
- motor boats go first into the locks, then the paddlers are called in by the Schleusenmeister
- in the locks, do not tie yourself securely to anything; the water is going up (or down) so you don’t want to be stuck to anything!
- in the locks, hold on to the side. There are usually places with a ladder or pole to hold on to as the water level rises or sinks. You can also hold on to another paddler, just don’t get too close to the bigger boats
Don’t Forget
Naturally, spending time on the water, you’ll want to have plenty of sunscreen and a hat to protect your head. Bring plenty of drinking water for the day (and possibly a pee bottle, as rest stops are difficult to find!). A rain jacket is also a must have for any outdoor trip. My first kayak tour in the Seenplatte it rained a lot of the time and was chilly enough (in July!) that I had it on practically all the time. The more recent trip (in May) nearly emptied my bottle of sunscreen. Be prepared!
I hope this post has helped you get all of your ducks (err…swans?) in a row. But if there’s something else you want to know about planning a paddling tour in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte please let me know!
On top of being a great water destination, Mecklenburg is home to a lot of other great weekend trips from Berlin.
Photo Credits: C.O. and myself