Tom`s travels: Waren, Röbel, Mirow & Wesenberg (13/05/2023)

On a sunny yet still chilly May weekend, I decided to make a day trip from Berlin and visit a few places in the Müritz area. This area is characterized by Germany's second largest lake, Lake Müritz, also the largest entirely within German territory, and the surrounding Müritz National Park. After taking a train I reached Waren, the main town and tourist spot on the lake. Once there I walked through the nice old town, made up of the typical low neoclassical and baroque houses and with also some timber-framed ones as well. I walked by the Old Town Hall, from the 15th century, and St George's church, brick gothic from the 14th century, but unfortunately found it closed, so I moved on along the picturesque streets. I passed by the other church, St Mary's, also brick gothic from the 14th century, and closed as well. Nearby I then walked through the main square, the Markplatz, where the New town hall is located, in a neogothic style from 1862. After admiring the surrounding architecture I then walked to the nearby small port from where I could admire and take some nice photos of the whole old town and see the lake. At that point I decided to head to the bus stop and take a ride to the town of Röbel, some 20km south, on the other side of the lake. Once there I walked through the elongated old town, passing first by the church of St Mary, built in a brick gothic style in the 13th century and overlooking the small Binnensee, part of the larger Müritz lake. Moving on I stopped to see the large windmill, built in 1825 and located on the hill where the town castle used to stand. Not too far ahead I reached the main square, where the church of St. Nicholas was located. Early brick gothic as well, it was completed in 1280, and as it was open I could admire the remarkable choir stalls inside dating to 1519 and coming from the former Röbel Dominican monastery. After visiting the church I had a stroll around the surrounding streets and then left Röbel, heading eastwards across the countryside. I passed by a mostly flat landscape filled with fresh green fields and beautiful stark bright yellow rapeseed ones. As I walked a red car stopped next to me and a middle-aged lady asked if I wanted a lift. I thanked her but told her I was just hiking and heading on this road, so she wished me good luck and carried on her drive. That was quite surprising as she was very friendly and unexpected of a woman to voluntarily stop to give a man a lift. Carrying on I eventually passed through the village of Südmüritz. Despite its small size and relatively inconspicuous, the village held a 17th manor house, the Gutshaus Ludorf, and a curiously octagonal brick gothic church. A few hundred meters further I then reached the Müritz lakeshore, where standing on the pier, I could admire the beautiful panorama. From here I started following a path across the fields heading southward with beautiful spots to enjoy the scenery. I stopped after a bit of walking to sit down in the grass and eat my sandwich while admiring the lake view. After lunch I continued on my walk, passing the village of Zielow with its timber-framed little church, and then continued on along the lakeshore. Further on I approached yet another village, Vipperow, where I could visit the village church, an early Gothic building made of fieldstone with a 16th-century winged altar and walls with partially surviving frescoes. After that I continued on the walk, crossing an arm of the lake, and then following a path over what was once a train track that eventually led me all the way to the town of Mirow. The town's main feature is the castle located on a small island on the eastern part of the Mirower See. I accessed the island through the 16th-century gatehouse and arrived at the Johanniterkirche, the castle hall church originally from the 14th century but rebuilt in its current late baroque style in 1744. Inside was also the crypt and burial place the dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Next to the church was the castle proper, originally built at the beginning of the 18th century and rebuilt in its current baroque form in 1751. After touring the castle grounds with its nice park and lake views I then headed to the town's train station from where I then took the train to the next town, Wesenberg. Here I exited the station and headed on to visit the old town. I passed by the main church, St Mary, gothic from the 14th century, but already closed, and reached the southern end of town where the small Wesenberg Castle is located on a low hill. From there I headed back through town admiring the nice architecture of the old town and then decided to head to the nearby Großer Weißer See. Here I lay down on the sandy shore of the lake enjoying the last rays of sun of the day, before eventually heading to the nearby train station and taking the next ride back to Berlin.