Germany's National Park Treasure Ideal For Outdoor Fun Is Part Of The 'Land Of A Thousand Lakes'

Germans have cherished and taken pride in their forests for centuries. Germany's 16 national parks preserve stretches of unspoiled land and water, and the landscapes they protect have inspired artists since the Romantic period. Today, they remain a cause for environmentalists and a favored escape for hikers. Regarding its national parks, Germany likes to follow the maxim of "leaving nature to its own devices," so you can explore Müritz National Park and enjoy a glorious experience full of peaceful outdoor fun.

As Germany's largest forested national park, measuring 124 square miles, Müritz stands out due to its colorful palette of landscapes rich in diversity and wildlife. It is a vast green haven with both a thriving pine forest and an old-growth beech forest. The latter has been growing relatively undisturbed since the Middle Ages and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Müritz National Park is a part of the Mecklenburg Lake District, also known as the "Land of a Thousand Lakes." The park takes its name from Lake Müritz and holds more than 100 lakes.

Reaching Müritz is relatively easy from multiple locations. From the nearby hub of Neustrelitz, it is roughly a 30-minute drive via the B198 highway, and it's a two-hour drive north from Berlin. The park is divided into two sections, the Serrahn tract (which houses the beech forest) to the east of Neustrelitz, and the Müritz tract to the west of it. If you're a birdwatcher, you might spot ospreys, white-tailed eagles, and cranes. Those looking for some physical activity can check out the network of 410 miles of trails, along with the lakes to canoe on.

Before you uncover the treasures of one of Germany's largest national parks, you might need to get your bearings first, and thankfully there are several visitor centers to help you iron out the logistics. The National Park Service center in Waren is a solid starting point for your Müritz adventure, offering relevant tips and a diverse range of tours. An alternative information center is conveniently located in the heart of the park in the hamlet of Kratzeburg, on Dorfstrasse 31. It is open daily from May to October, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you want to paddle out and enjoy the best of what the "Land of a Thousand Lakes" has to offer, the park is rife with options. The Kanu-Hecht rental service in Kratzeburg lies at the starting point of the Havel River route, stretching south for 14 miles. For a shorter 2-mile route, combined with camping on Lake Müritz, consider heading to the "Bolter Ufer" C15 campground, which will allow you to paddle through the Bolter Kanal and onwards.

Once you've explored the western Müritz tract of the park, you can head east to the Serrahn half of the park, which will immerse you in the remnants of a forest that used to cover 40% of Europe. In the small village also bearing the name of Serrahn, you can orient yourself at the local visitor information center and choose the next stage of your forested adventure. The Müritz National Park isn't the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in this corner of northeastern Germany either, with its smaller sibling, Jasmund National Park, also being home to rare, old-growth beech forests.

For a pleasant introduction to this area, you can park your car in the Zinow car park and continue through the forested trail southeast to the Serrahn village on foot or bicycle. These are the only options for the roughly 2-mile trail, which passes through the primeval beech forest. Along the way, you'll find an observation point, an old Slavic settlement, and a boardwalk. Before exploring the surrounding trails, you can catch your breath at the visitor center and even grab a hot beverage at the local cafe. The site also hosts a UNESCO exhibit that contains detailed information about Europe's primeval beech forests. The continent is home to many of them, including Bialowieza National Park in Poland.

Should you wish to see more of the park, the Müritz National Park Trail hugs a vast swath of the park with a network of trails spanning 103 miles. You can choose from any of its nine trails of varying lengths and landscapes, offering sights ranging from ospreys hunting the skies to red deer in the trees. 

If you're planning on an extended stay close to the forests and lakes of the national park, the award-winning Campinghof Am Grünen Baum, just southeast of Neustrelitz, will keep you close to nature. With rating of 4.9 stars on Google, this family-run gem is open from April to October. After a long day of hiking, you may want to enjoy the nightlife of Berlin, which travel expert Rick Steves highly recommends.