Melz

Lake Melz and Its Surroundings

Lake Melz is a river lake on the upper reaches of the River Elde. It is near Melz, close to Röbel, and extends east of the village. It covers about 29 hectares; the Elde serves as both its inflow and outflow. The lake is therefore not only a named feature of the landscape, but is also defined by its position along the river. Information about its size and connection to the watercourse helps place the lake as a distinct part of the surrounding area.

Numerous oaks grow around Lake Melz, with trunk circumferences of more than 5 m. Another remarkable group of oaks stands along the road from Friedrichshof to Karbow and is protected as a natural monument. The largest oak in this group has a circumference of 5.90 m. These groups of trees are two specific natural features of the area; the protected group of oaks can also be identified by its location between Friedrichshof and Karbow.

An insect meadow is also part of the village’s history: the first was established in 2018 in the square by the new fire station at Dorfstraße 8a, 17209 Melz. Together with the ancient oaks, this more recent example adds another dated detail to the picture of the landscape around Melz.

Village Church, Estate and Archaeological Finds

Melz village church was rebuilt in 1816 by the estate’s owner and patron at the time, Friedrich August von Ferber. Extensive restoration work was carried out up to 2016, largely repairing building damage that had occurred in the preceding years. Anyone interested in the village’s history will find a church whose construction and subsequent work took place at different times. The restoration is dated up to 2016; it should not be confused with the rebuilding in 1816.

After the manor house burned down in 1945, a stable, remnants of the estate wall and fragments of a park survived from the former Melz estate. These remnants point to the former estate, although the manor house itself is not among the surviving buildings. This provides another historical focus for learning about Melz alongside the village church: the visible remains of an estate whose manor house history ended with the fire.

Melz is also associated with significant archaeological finds. The Melz hoard is one of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s largest archaeological treasures. In autumn 1970, a unique 14-piece bronze hoard was recovered from the Zehnten-Wiese meadow in Melz-Friedrichshof. A separate tradition tells that nine chiefs are said to have buried their insignia of rank in part of this meadow. This remains a tradition; the recovery of the bronze hoard, by contrast, took place in autumn 1970.

Walking and Regional Orientation

The Association for Nature and Local Heritage held an annual walk around Lake Melz. In addition, the Ice Age Route from Fürstenberg/Havel to Röbel/Müritz passes through Buchholz, Kieve, Melz, Karbow and Bollewick. Melz is thus included both in a walk around the lake and as a stop on a longer regional route. The two are different in scope: one walk went around the lake, while the Ice Age Route connects several places between Fürstenberg/Havel and Röbel/Müritz.

For further orientation within this overview: Priborn, Fincken, Leizen, Kieve, Zepkow, Bütow, Gotthun and Ludorf.

For the broader travel overview: Amt Röbel-Müritz.