Barkhagen: Waterways and Village History
Accommodation in Barkhagen
Barkhagen can be explored through the waterways and historic sites of the associated municipality. In Barkow, the MĂĽritz-Elde Waterway and the lock shape its connection to the water; Plauerhagen adds a village church and memorial sites to the picture. This allows you to consider waterways, cycling routes, architectural history and local memorials as distinct themes when planning your trip.
Waterways and Barkow Manor House
The MĂĽritz-Elde Waterway passes through the district of Barkow, where you will find the Barkow lock. It is a self-service lock. Its chamber is 55 metres long and 6.6 metres wide, with a lift of 3.2 metres. Via several waterways, the MĂĽritz-Elde Waterway connects directly to Hamburg and Berlin from Barkow. The dimensions and lift describe the lock itself, while the connection to the two cities provides a broader sense of the route by water.
Barkow Manor House was built by the HĂĽlĂźe family in 1913. Its large garden borders directly on the MĂĽritz-Elde Waterway. Behind the manor house, right by the Elde, there is a canoe station; the manor house also rents out canoes and bicycles. Check availability before your trip. Its architectural history, garden and connection to the water offer different points of interest in Barkow.
Village Churches and Memorial Sites
The history of the tower at Barkow Village Church is particularly well documented: its 14th-century wooden bell tower was replaced by a half-timbered tower with a pyramidal spire in 1786. Plauerhagen Village Church dates from 1784. It is a half-timbered building with brickwork and a small rooftop turret. The dates refer to different things: the church in Plauerhagen and the replacement of the older bell tower in Barkow.
The trees and memorial stones also mark distinct points in time. The cemetery oak in Barkow is a pedunculate oak more than 600 years old. The Victory Oak there stands beside a memorial stone commemorating the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. In Plauerhagen, the Blücher Oak stands beside a memorial stone dating from 1913. These historic points of interest range from an ancient natural monument to memorials with a specific historical connection.
Cycling Route and Regional Perspectives
For cycling trips, the Brick Gothic Route runs from Plau am See via Gnevsdorf, VietlĂĽbbe, Karbow, Kreien, LĂĽbz, Bobzin Lock and Kuppentin to Plauerhagen, then back to Plau am See. Plauerhagen is therefore part of a longer, named route. The cycle route offers a different perspective from the waterway connection: here the focus is on a sequence of places, while the waterway route runs across several waterways.
The wider travel destination of Ludwigslust-Parchim offers further historical and natural attractions. Ludwigslust Palace was the former residence of the Dukes of Mecklenburg and, together with its park and town, forms an ensemble known as the “Little Versailles of the North.” The palace is also the centrepiece of a largely preserved late Baroque town layout, complete with a former court church and an English landscape garden. The palace presents art and courtly domestic culture from the 18th and early 19th centuries. In Dömitz, the museum in the fortress covers the history of the fortress and town, the Elbe, harbour and bridges, as well as Fritz Reuter. It also hosts special and art exhibitions, whose programme may change. As a natural attraction, the calcareous fen near Zarrentin is part of the Schaalelauf Nature Reserve and can be explored from the nature trail.
Discover more destinations: Ganzlin, Buchberg.
View the broader travel overview: Amt Plau Am See.
