We’ve always wanted to explore the Mecklenburg Lake District in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Last year, we quite spontaneously received an invitation from the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Tourism Association and Locaboat Holidays for a short houseboat trip. We couldn’t pass it up and were looking forward to meeting the team, the other bloggers, and a really cool adventure. This lake landscape awaits you with 1117 lakes, the Müritz National Park, and seven other nature parks.
Whether on the water or on land, the leisure and sports opportunities are endless. A full 85% of the lakes are connected by canals and rivers. Amazing, right? In the next post, we’ll take you on our short trip and show you how you can have a super cool vacation in Germany.
- Start at Fleesensee
- Our houseboats from Locaboat
- Trip across Kölpinsee
- Mooring point: Marina Eldenburg
- Off to Malchow Lake
- Conclusion: Mecklenburg Lake District
- Suitable travel reading for this trip
Start at Fleesensee
Our adventure began in Untergöhren on the Fleesensee, a lake in the Mecklenburg Lake District that’s about 5 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide. Here, the weather was still extremely good, with plenty of sunshine and blue skies. Lake Fleesensee is a popular holiday destination for wellness enthusiasts, golfers, and hiking enthusiasts.
The surrounding area offers numerous hiking trails, bike routes, and horseback riding opportunities, as well as countless other leisure activities and water sports. Well-known destinations at Lake Fleesensee include the Schlosshotel*, the Robinson Club*, the Dorfhotel Fleesensee*, the Fleesensee Resort & Spa*, and the TUI Blue Fleesensee*.
We took a short walk and took a break at the Beachclub – ROBINSON Club Fleesensee. Here, you can sip a delicious coffee on the small beach, order something to eat, and enjoy the sun on the terrace. Right next door is a water sports center, which offers various courses and rents canoes, SUPs, and windsurfing equipment. After our coffee, we strolled along the water back to the small harbor of Untergöhren. By the way: Untergöhren also has a dog beach for our four-legged friends.
Our houseboats from Locaboat
All the bloggers and the team were finally together, and now the adventure could finally begin. Our accommodation wasn’t a chic hotel on one of the lakes, but two super cool houseboats from Locaboat. The license-free houseboats are between 9 and 15 meters long, can accommodate up to 12 people, depending on the model, and have up to 4 cabins with private bathrooms. Locaboat offers a fleet of 380 houseboats in Europe, in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Ireland.
In the middle of the boat, there’s a large salon with seating and a table, as well as a fully equipped kitchen. On board, there’s absolutely everything you need for such a vacation. We even brought two large SUP boards and bicycles for use in between trips. The wide deck offers enough space for everyone and is perfect for sunbathing in good weather. Food was provided; we had bread, soups, fruit, drinks, spreads, and plenty of other treats on board.
The food and luggage were carried onto the boats, and we spread out and settled into our cabins. Marco and I were on a boat with three other bloggers. We spent the night in a small sleeping cabin with two single beds, a wardrobe, and a bathroom with a toilet, shower, and sink. We didn’t have to bring our own bed linen and towels, they are part of the basic equipment at Locaboat.
Generally included in the rental price:
- Boat rental price
- Crockery, bed linen and towels
- Navigation fees to the authorities
- Fully comprehensive boat insurance with excess
- Gas bottle & Captain’s manual
- Instructions on the day of departure
- Breakdown service Monday to Sunday during business hours
- Bookable between March and the end of October
- All about the boats and Locaboat here as a brochure
Trip across Lake Kölpinsee
After a theoretical and practical briefing, we were able to cast off and head out onto the lakes. The route led us from Lake Fleesensee to Lake Kölpinsee. Unfortunately, the weather was anything but nice, so we headed down below, caught up with each other, and had some pleasant conversations.
Every now and then we went up on deck, looked for the sun, and steered the boat towards safe harbor. Lake Kölpinsee is the third-largest lake in the Lake District and is surrounded by forests and several nature reserves, among other things. The lake is suitable for swimming and nude bathing, but there are no campsites or restrooms. The nearest towns are Waren and Jabel.
Marina Eldenburg Mooring Point
Then we reached our mooring point for the evening and night: the marina on Lake Müritz, “Marina Eldenburg.” This quiet bay lies between Waren-Müritz and Lake Kölpinsee. Smaller boats, yachts, and houseboats can dock here. There’s a small floating dock with electricity, water, Wi-Fi, and a sewage disposal system. There’s also a harbor restaurant, a few vacation apartments, and boat rentals.
We were able to admire several houseboats on site, some smaller, some larger. Marco and I took a short walk along the water to the forest and back again. The place is very idyllic and far away from any hustle and bustle.
Just in time for our arrival, the weather improved again, and we were able to enjoy the evening outside with regional delicacies and beer. Afterwards, we all didn’t want to miss the beautiful sunset and headed out onto Lake Kölpinsee again. While part of the group stayed at the harbor and occupied themselves with the SUP boards, the rest of us took some great photos of the water, from the air, and the surroundings. Back at the harbor, we rounded off the evening together with beer and wine on the houseboat.
Off to Lake Malchow
The next morning began with a hearty breakfast made with regional products. Strengthened, awake, and in a good mood, we cast off again and sailed across Lake Kölpinsee and Lake Fleesensee to Malchow. The weather was once again changeable that day, changing almost every minute. When the weather is good, you can really make yourself comfortable on deck and enjoy the sun.
When the weather is bad, you simply head to the salon for warm tea and pleasant conversation. But we were lucky, and the sun finally came out. Shortly before reaching Lake Malchow, the weather actually improved again, and we were finally able to take a few beautiful photos without any dark rain clouds.
Quite chilled by the wind and rain, we reached Lake Malchow and the pretty island town of Malchow. This picturesque little town is surrounded by hills, forest, and water and is located in the center of the Mecklenburg Lake District. Here, between Lake Müritz and Lake Plauer, you can expect historical buildings (e.g., the monastery church), water trails, and the famous Malchow swing bridge, which is crossed by around 18,000 boats every year. This bridge connects the beautiful old town island with the new town.
Our short houseboat trip ended here in Malchow some time later. We slowly packed everything up, tidied up our boat, and left the jetty. Behind us lay a short but nevertheless beautiful trip across some of the lakes of the Mecklenburg Lake District. Thanks to the Locaboat team and the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Tourism Association for this cool adventure. It was really a lot of fun.
Conclusion: Mecklenburg Lake District
We definitely want to explore the Mecklenburg Lake District more intensively and visit other places. The region is so diverse and offers something for everyone. It’s a lot of fun to experience the region on a houseboat. You’re right in the middle of it all, close to the water 24/7, and you can decide where you want to go.
Just as we love traveling with a camper, we also love traveling with a boat. Locaboat’s houseboats are truly fantastic and have everything you need for such a trip. We can 100% recommend a trip on these boats and are already looking forward to seeing them again.
Suitable travel reading for this trip
- Houseboat holiday Mecklenburg Lake District*
- Mecklenburg Lake District travel guide*
- MARCO POLO travel guide Mecklenburg Lake District*
- DuMont travel pocketbook travel guide*