Brauner Rohrkolben: Hofsee circuit
The viewing stand is accessible; check the approach and full circuit separately.
IllustrationCome to Müritz National Park for lakeside birdwatching and a walk through forests that are growing wild.
Come to Müritz National Park for lakeside birdwatching and a walk through forests that are growing wild. For a first visit with children, start in Federow, near Waren, where a short lake circuit leaves plenty of time to stop and look. If your family wants a longer woodland day, head instead to Zinow for the old beech forests of Serrahn. Choose one area for the day; these are separate parts of a very large park.
The western Müritz sector is a landscape of pine woods, reeds, wetlands and water. In the east, Serrahn’s old beeches shade a more enclosed forest world. The park covers 322 km² and contains 107 lakes larger than a hectare, but only a narrow part of Lake Müritz itself lies within its boundary. A lake on the map is not automatically a place to swim or launch a canoe.
The pleasure here is in slowing down. Take turns with the binoculars, compare a distant eagle’s outline with a smaller bird, or spend a minute listening beneath the trees. An osprey may be fishing over the water; in autumn, cranes gather before continuing south. In Serrahn, a fallen trunk, a young beech and a gap in the canopy tell their own story, even if the woodpeckers stay out of sight. Be ready to snap and learn! Get the Snappit app to identify any nature species you find here.
Müritz National Park was founded on 1 October 1990, after local people had campaigned in 1989 to end privileged state hunting and establish a national park. Its forests have several histories: much of the western pine woodland was planted for timber, while hunting interests helped spare Serrahn’s older beeches from intensive logging. In 2011, the Serrahner Buchenwälder became part of the UNESCO World Heritage beech-forest site. The UNESCO designation covers these beech woods, not the whole national park.
In Federow, call at the Nationalpark-Information on Damerower Straße 6, then follow the Brauner Rohrkolben signs around the Hofsee. This 2.5 km circuit makes a manageable first outing, with a viewing stand for a quiet pause. During the osprey breeding season, ask whether the live nest-camera feed is running in the information house. It gives a close view without approaching a nest.
For Serrahn, use the 8 km family circuit from the car park at Zinow. Follow the Grünes Buchenblatt forest-experience path toward Serrahn, taking in the bog boardwalk and the change from lighter pine woodland to old beeches. Pause at the multimedia exhibition Im Reich der Buchen if it is open, then return on the broad, unpaved vehicle track. Expect forest paths and a boardwalk, and leave time for the activity stations along the way.
A different Serrahn option follows the experience path all the way from Zinow to Dianenhof: 6.5 km one way. Arrange your return on bus 619 before choosing it. The shorter approach from Dianenhof to Serrahn and back is about 5 km and includes some steeper sections.
For children who prefer things to try, the 2 km Wolfspfad near Zwenzow uses interactive stations to explain wolf behaviour, with a historic wolf trap and a storytelling hut. Start from Parkplatz am Wolfsfang, at the northern end, on the road between Zwenzow and Wesenberg. The 2 km describes the learning trail; check the map for your return to the car. Come for the activities; this is not an animal enclosure.
In autumn, make crane watching a separate, patient outing. The seasonal Kranich-Ticket walk starts in Federow and takes roughly three hours, including about 4 km of walking. Book a suitable departure and follow the guide to the observation area: access around the Rederangsee roost is controlled during migration. Dogs cannot join this particular tour. Photography is limited; check the operator’s current conditions before booking if taking pictures is a priority.
Visitor buildings and transport have seasonal timetables, so check them before travelling, especially outside May–October. Do not depend on the Serrahn exhibition being open in winter. The wildfire area remains closed to entry because of dangerous, munitions-contaminated ground; reopening nearby roads does not open the burned area. Check current park notices and respect every barrier. Avoid wooded trails in strong wind, and do not smoke or light fires in the forest. Autumn crane-protection restrictions may change where and when you can walk near the roost.
Federow’s information house and the Hofsee viewing stand offer wheelchair access; ask about the full lake circuit before attempting it. The park recommends the Dianenhof approach to Serrahn for wheelchairs and pushchairs, while warning of steeper stretches; discuss the route and current surface with the Serrahn team before setting out. Audio guides for visitors with visual impairments can be reserved there. At Kratzeburg, SpurenWeg is designed for visitors with visual impairments accompanied by another person; the bat exhibition itself is not wheelchair-accessible. Ask separately about the Zinow circuit and Wolfspfad if using a chair or pushchair.
An approachable lake circuit with room for unhurried birdwatching.
Old trees, decaying timber and new growth in a UNESCO-listed forest.
Watch the evening arrivals on a guided outing from Federow.
Learn through movement and play on the forest trail near Zwenzow.
The viewing stand is accessible; check the approach and full circuit separately.
Do not equate the Zinow circuit with the specifically recommended Dianenhof accessible approach.
Visitors using wheelchairs should ask about the separate Dianenhof approach instead of assuming this entire walk is suitable.
Recommended by the park for wheelchairs and pushchairs, with assistance potentially needed; ask the Serrahn team.
No blanket wheelchair or pushchair recommendation.
Visit the information house, walk the Hofsee circuit and stop at its viewing stand. Leave a little time at the end for another question or a second look rather than immediately adding a longer route.
Start the family circuit at Zinow with provisions already packed. Use the experience stations and boardwalk, picnic during your Serrahn pause, then return by the vehicle track. Check exhibition opening before making it central to the day.
Walk about 400 m from the station toward Dalmsdorf/Dambeck to reach SpurenWeg. Add the Flatterhus bat exhibition if its opening hours and access suit your group. Plan the return to the station separately.
Take a woodland photo in the pine-dominated sector and another beneath Serrahn’s beeches. Compare how much sky you can see and what grows below. Keep the exercise on the paths.
Before looking for a name, ask each person for one detail: wing shape, tail colour or whether the bird is perched or flying. Compare osprey and white-tailed eagle pictures afterward.
On SpurenWeg near Kratzeburg, use the stations to investigate how nature takes over old human structures. Notice the small changes that are easy to miss on an ordinary walk.
Schwarzenhof offers a small indoor display about birds and feathers. Check its seasonal hours before diverting there.
Kratzeburg’s bat exhibition can pair with a shorter walk when conditions allow. Its lack of wheelchair access matters when choosing this option.
Watch above open water for sharply angled wings. The Federow live feed offers a different view during the breeding season; use the public screen and keep away from the nest.
Scan the sky from a public waterside stand. Broad, fingered wings help separate this eagle from an osprey; the white tail belongs to adults, so a young bird can look different.
In autumn, listen for trumpeting and watch the arriving groups on a permitted guided roost visit. Keep quiet as they settle, and let the guide decide where the group stands.
Listen in the old Serrahn woods, particularly in spring. This is a difficult bird to see, and its calls are a better clue than waiting for drumming. Watch from the path without seeking nest holes.
Watch the trunks in older deciduous woodland for a bird moving head-first downward. Its dark eye stripe and blue-grey back are useful details to notice if it pauses.
At a permitted waterside viewpoint, look at low branches above the water as well as the sky. A perched bird can be surprisingly easy to miss; a quick blue-and-orange movement may be all you see.
Make a tree portrait in Serrahn: include its trunk and the space beneath its canopy. Then look for young growth from the same path. A forest photo need not depend on an animal appearing.
Compare the pine-dominated western woods with the beeches on a separate Serrahn day. Photograph the shape of the canopy and the light below it, without breaking off needles or cones.
Use the village information points for route advice and opening information. Carry food and drink; do not assume a café or exhibition will be open at the end of a forest walk.
For the western lakeside sector, plan your rail arrival at Waren and a separate connection to Federow. For Serrahn, check the Neustrelitz–Feldberg route 619 and the Zinow or Dianenhof stop. At Kratzeburg, the railway provides direct access to a different park outing. The Deutschlandticket does not cover Nationalparklinie 09; check which separate ticket or eligible guest card covers your journey.
Contact the Serrahn team at [email protected] or +49 385 588 637-29 about the route and advance audio-guide reservation. The park also describes an authorised vehicle-access arrangement for visitors with disabilities from Zinow to Serrahn; confirm that it applies to your visit before using the restricted road.
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Pick a gateway
Take the train to Waren for the western sector, or Neustrelitz for Serrahn. Nationalparklinie buses serve Federow; bus 619 serves Zinow and Dianenhof. Check the return connection before walking.
Watch the 2026 timetable
The Nationalparklinie normally runs Monday–Saturday, with no Sunday or public-holiday service apart from specified May exceptions. From 5 October 2026, use Waren Zentrum instead of Steinmole. The Deutschlandticket is not valid on Nationalparklinie 09; check current departures and the ticket you need.
Park at the trailhead
Use the signed car parks at Federow, Zinow or Dianenhof. Do not follow the bus through residents-only roads or drive into Serrahn simply because a navigation app suggests it.
Pack your lunch
Bring food, water, sturdy shoes and weatherproof layers. Places to buy refreshments are sparse; the small Serrahn café should be a bonus if open. Cover up against ticks and mosquitoes.
Keep the view peaceful
Stay on marked paths, use the observation facilities and keep dogs on a lead. Do not approach nests, handle wildlife or fly a drone.
Paddle on permitted routes
Plan with the official Obere Havel or Alte Fahrt information. Keep out of reeds and closed water, give bird groups space, and land only at designated places. The protected eastern strip of Müritz is closed to watersports.
Check the Granzin portage
Safety investigations around the canoe-trolley portage may take place after the 2026 season. Confirm access with the park and your hire operator before committing to a through-route.
Join a ranger
The park’s own ranger walks are free, though some require registration. Commercial tours, including Kranich-Ticket, are separate paid offers. Check the individual meeting point and conditions.
Recent snaps will appear here as new observations are added.
Maryland, US
You might spot White-Tailed Deer and Eastern Gray Squirrel.
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District of Columbia, US
You might spot Eastern Gray Squirrel, Duck, and House Sparrow.
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Illinois, US
You might spot American Robin, Canada Goose, and House Sparrow.
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Virginia, US
You might spot Spotted Lanternfly and Northern Cardinal.
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Take the discovery with you
Identify the wildlife you spot, learn as you go, and keep a collection of the adventure.