The Sternberger Seenland Nature Park lies to the east of Schwerin. A multifaceted paradise for active people: dense forests and flat paths along the lakes invite you to go hiking. The shallow current of the calm Warnow is perfect for a canoe trip, and the well-developed cycle paths between fields and meadows entice you to get on your bike. Three friends set out to explore the Sternberger Seenland Nature Park in spring on foot, by canoe and by bike.
The beavers are on the loose!
Sternberger Seenland Nature Park Center in Warin
It's still early when Alisa, Michel and Lisa meet in front of the Sternberger Seenland Nature Park Center in Warin. But the sky is already a deep blue and it promises to be a great spring day. Perfect for exploring the 540 square kilometer and incredibly diverse nature park, which was founded in 2004! The interactive exhibition in the nature park center gives an insight into what awaits the three friends today.
And it's amazingly varied! Shallow hills, rugged gorges with dense deciduous forests, picturesque fishing villages and vast lake landscapes - and of course the Warnow, which has always been the lifeline of the region and the river with the most water in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Most of the time it flows leisurely, to the delight of one animal inhabitant: the beaver. We know of more than 400 animals in the nature park, but there are probably countless more living in the many beaver lodges. Will the three friends discover one of the rodents today?Hiking on the nature park trail
Understanding the diversity of nature
A narrow blue stripe on a white tile - you can almost miss the signpost to the nature park trail, which is emblazoned on a wooden post. The hiking trail runs from Lake Schaalsee across the inland of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to the Szczecin Lagoon and runs for 907 kilometers through all 7 nature parks, through the UNESCO Schaalsee Biosphere Reserve and the Müritz National Park – and thus also through the Sternberger Seenland Nature Park.
Alisa, Michel and Lisa turn onto the path along the Glammsee bathing paradise at the war memorial. The sounds of Warin fall silent immediately, surrounded by green thickets. Even the soft rustling of thousands and thousands of ants under the leaves can now be heard. The three of them stroll happily along the bank and through the forest, which is now particularly lush and green in spring. They soon reach the Graupenmühler Brücke in the Radebach valley. Here, moors cover the forest floor and a frog jumps onto the path. „How sweet they are“, shouts Alisa, taking the little quaker in her hand and carrying him safely along the path. At Lake Labenz near Friedrichswalde, the water glistens in the midday sun, a wooden jetty juts out over the reedy shore. Perfect for a picnic and a cool down for the feet!
And that's when Lisa discovers the first beaver track: gnawed bark from a tree on the bank. Quite clearly! Having recovered from the short break, the last stage – past the inland salt marshes near Sülten – is a piece of cake. But it's also beautiful here, because thanks to the salty groundwater, there are colorful flowers along the way, with the church tower on the hill behind it - simply magnificent. And you've already reached the banks of the Warnow river.
Canoeing along the Warnow
The bright red canoe wobbles precariously, Michel carefully climbs into the back of the boat last. It wouldn't be too bad if it capsized, the Warnow isn't particularly deep here in Weitendorf. The canoe glides gently across the peaceful river. The grass reaches right up to the bank, dragonflies settle on the thick stems. The surface of the water reflects the idyllic scenery, you almost think the Warnow is lying still. Only the gentle dip of the paddles leaves circles on the smooth surface. The canoe floats along as if in perfect symbiosis in the middle of nature, and the three friends quickly find their paddling rhythm. So absorbed that they barely spot the rare kingfisher sitting on the branch of a small tree just a few meters away from them.
The light of the afternoon sun shines through the scattered treetops, which repeatedly provide grateful shade. Michel steers the boat past a fallen tree trunk. „There, look! “ Again it is Lisa who discovers a small dam behind it. Beavers are clearly at work here. The destination is reached at Sternberger Burg, shortly before the river completely changes its face in the Warnow and Mildenitz breakthrough valley: Dense deciduous trees surround the opaque, winding banks and the Warnow is now wild and shallow. If you like, you can actually go on canoe trips lasting several days.Cycling into the sunset
Groß Radener See - in the footsteps of the Slavs
The nature triathlon is almost over! Six kilometers still separate Alisa, Michel and Lisa from the lakeshore in Groß Raden, where the open-air archaeological museum, including the old Slavic castle wall, shows how people lived here peacefully with nature a thousand years ago. On the bike, you now notice every little climb, your legs are slowly getting tired. A long-eared owl sits in the tree and turns its head 180 degrees, watching the three of them as they hiss up the small hill - and then laugh as they descend again in the light of the setting sun.
In the field, a fox flees from one hay bale to the next, all the way into the forest. Finally, the lakeshore appears on the right. The three friends hurriedly put their backpacks on the grass. A wooden footbridge at the bathing area leads out onto the lake – and offers a view of the sunset. What a day! Alisa holds out her hand to her two companions. As if the clapping had been the starting signal, something suddenly swims off the shore of the lake. Of course, Lisa recognizes it first - a beaver. The peeking head crosses the lake at high speed in the spring-like evening light and parts the water. Right here is one of the beaver lodges.
Yes, the three of them now understand why the beaver feels so at home in the idyllic landscape of the Sternberger Seenland Nature Park. It is a hidden paradise for animals and people who are guests in this natural environment.
Unique experiences await you not only in the Sternberger Seenland Nature Park, but also in the other protected areas in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. To understand nature even better, we recommend a visit to one of the nature experience centers beforehand.
Visitor information centre of the Nature Park “Sternberger Seenland“
- Am Markt, 19417 Warin
The visitor information centre in Warin is the ideal starting point in order to inform oneself about the different destinations and experiences the nature park offers. One can learn something about the landscape’s formation and the way the human’s occupation influenced its development. The unique flora and fauna of the nature park greatly fascinate the visitors. Borrow a backpack at the visitor centre and discover the nature park in your own way.
