Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [651]
Wiekhaus 45 ( 566 7762; 4th Ringstrasse; mains €8.95-17.80; from 11am) Easily the best place to eat in Neubrandenburg is this lovely renovated guardhouse. Waiters zip up and down the narrow stairwell carrying huge portions of delicious Mecklenburg specialities (start with the tasty onion soup served with fresh bread). There are delightful garden-set tables in summer.
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Entertainment
Within the war-damaged shell of the 13th-century Marienkirche, Neubrandenburg’s stunning new Konzertkirche (concert church; tickets 559 5127; www.konzertkirche-nb.de; cnr Stargarder Strasse & Grosse Wollweberstrasse) has goosebump-raising acoustics. The ticket service in the tourist office handles bookings.
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Getting There & Away
Trains leave every two hours for Berlin (€25.50, two hours). There are also services every two hours to/from Rostock (€20.90, two hours), via Güstrow, and Stralsund (€15.20, 1¼ hours).
By road from Berlin take the A20 northwest then take the B96 north (follow the signs for Stralsund). From Stralsund or Greifswald, head south on the B96. From Rostock, take the A19 south to Güstrow then follow the B104 southeast.
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MÜRITZ NATIONAL PARK
Müritz is commonly known as the land – or paradise – of a thousand lakes. While that’s an exaggeration, there are well over 100 lakes here, as well as countless ponds, streams and rivers.
Declared a protected area in 1990, this serene national park ( 039824-2520; www.nationalpark-mueritz.de) consists of bog and wetlands, and is home to a wide range of waterfowl, including ospreys, white-tailed eagles and cranes. Its two main sections sprawl over 300 sq km to the east and (mainly) west of Neustrelitz, where the park’s waterway begins on the Zierker See.
Tourist offices throughout the region have trail and park maps and offer recommendations for the main activity: self-guided paddle-and-camp trips. Paddlers should pick up the brochure Paddeln im Land der Tausend Seen (Paddling in the Land of 1000 Lakes). This includes tips for 13 tours and places to stay along the way; although it’s in German, essential information such as maps, distances, camp site icons and telephone numbers are easy to read. Rental places are everywhere; prices start from €6 per day. If you’d rather have company, tourist offices and national park offices also have lists of guides who lead various trips.
When camping, you must use designated sites. Many are operated by Haveltourist ( 03981-247 90; www.haveltourist.de; adult/tent only/tent & car from €4.10/3.40/6.10), which also rents canoes and bikes and runs organised trips.
Timetables for park-wide Müritz Linie ( 03991-6450; www.mueritz.de, in German) bus and ferry services are available from tourist offices. Day passes cost €8 for buses only, or €16 for buses and ferries.
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Neustrelitz
03981 / pop 22,275
Situated on the Zierker See within the national park, the pretty, planned baroque town of Neustrelitz centres on its circular Markt, from which streets radiate like the spokes of a wheel.
The town’s Schloss fell victim to WWII, but its beautiful Schlossgarten retains its 18th-century orangerie (with a restaurant open Tuesday to Sunday May to September), and hosts the Schlossgartenfestspiele ( 2393; www.schlossgartenfestpiele.de, in German), a series of classical and various other concerts (such as Beatles tunes) from mid-June to mid-August.
The tourist office ( 253 119; www.neustrelitz.de; Strelitzer Strasse 1; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-1pm Sat & Sun May-Sep, 9am-noon & 1-4pm Mon-Thu, 9am-noon Fri Oct-Apr) shares space with a branch of the national park office ( 253 106; 9.30am-6pm Mon-Sat May-Sep, 9.30am-4pm Mon-Fri early–mid-Apr & Oct), and can help with accommodation in town and throughout the park.
Fish plucked fresh from the lake is the highlight of two wonderfully rustic