Dabel: Nature Park, Hiking and GDR Museum

Hiking routes with different itineraries

The 7.0 km “Werderwanderung” route starts in Dabel, goes via Werder and returns to Dabel. Two more routes run through the municipality of Dabel. “Monuments and Technology” is 13.0 km long and goes via the mill, Gägelow and Zülow before returning to Dabel. The 14.1 km “Visit to the Slavs” route leads from the municipality of Dabel via the mill, Sternberg and Sternberg Castle to Groß Raden.

The distances and named waypoints provide a concrete basis for comparing the three tours: the Werderwanderung returns to Dabel, as does “Monuments and Technology”, while “Visit to the Slavs” continues to Groß Raden. Trail conditions may change, so check them before setting out on your hike.

Everyday life in the GDR and a megalithic tomb

Everyday life in East Germany is the focus of a journey through time at the Dabel GDR Museum. The megalithic tomb east of Dabel offers a very different perspective on time: it is around 5,000 years old and is one of the rare dolmens in Mecklenburg. When planning a trip, a museum and a much older monument thus offer two distinct ways of exploring history.

More attractions in the wider Ludwigslust-Parchim destination

The wider Ludwigslust-Parchim destination also has its own cultural attractions. Ludwigslust Palace was the former residence of the Dukes of Mecklenburg. Together with its park and town, it forms an ensemble known as the “Little Versailles of the North”. The palace is also the focal point of an almost completely preserved late Baroque town layout, with a former court church and an English-style landscape park. The palace showcases art and courtly residential culture from the 18th and early 19th centuries.

The museum in Dömitz Fortress covers the history of the fortress and town, the history of the Elbe, harbour and bridges, as well as Fritz Reuter. Temporary and art exhibitions are also held; their programme may change. The Dömitz Citadel is a Renaissance fortress laid out on the Italian model, in the shape of a pentagon with bastions, casemates and a drawbridge. The tours at Zarrentin Monastery offer a different perspective on cultural history, exploring the history of the former Cistercian convent, the lives of the nuns and the building’s architecture. There is a permanent exhibition about the monastery on the ground floor. Check current dates and access arrangements before your visit.

Natural attractions in Ludwigslust-Parchim include the calcareous fen near Zarrentin, which is part of the Schaalelauf Nature Reserve. Visitors can explore the fen from the nature trail. Water sports are also practised on the Müritz-Elde Waterway in the district of Ludwigslust-Parchim. If you are planning such activities, take the current conditions into account.

Discover more destinations: Mustin, Weitendorf, Borkow, Zahrensdorf, Langen Jarchow, Brüel, Blankenberg, Witzin.

See the wider travel guide: Sternberg Lake District Office.