June 23, 2026, 1:12 pm | Read time: 9 minutes
The Peene is one of the last almost completely unaltered rivers in Germany. On a multi-day kayaking trip, water sports enthusiasts can explore the river. While encounters with other people are mostly limited to the few stops in the villages and small towns along the route, nature takes center stage in the glacial Peene Valley. TRAVELBOOK author Robin Hartmann spent three days on the “Amazon of the North” and shares how to make your tour perfect.
A sunny day in late May, only a few wispy clouds accentuate the otherwise brilliantly blue sky, which stretches so vast above me that you might think you could trace the Earth’s curvature with the naked eye. My mind is in a Nirvana-like state of calm, while all around me, the dense reeds are alive with the sounds of croaking, chirping, buzzing, tweeting, and trilling. I glide, paddle stroke by paddle stroke, along the gently flowing Peene, and apart from two of my oldest friends, there are only an incredible variety of bird species in a nature that resembles the biblical Garden of Eden. We could just as well be the first or last people on Earth, main characters in a new, unforgettable adventure set on the stage provided by the “Amazon of the North.”
The Peene earns this melodious nickname because it is truly wild in the best sense of the word. The third-longest river in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern winds about 85 kilometers from its source in Lake Kummerow to its mouth in the Peenestrom near Anklam through a primeval landscape characterized by moors, wet meadows, endless reed belts, and alder swamp forests. It is also one of the last truly natural rivers in Germany. The paddler encounters no locks or weirs on their multi-day journey. Only in the areas of the few settlements along the river are the banks sometimes reinforced, and there are virtually no artificial straightening. With a gradient of just 24 centimeters, the Peene is a paradise for water sports enthusiasts.
Formed During the Last Ice Age
The glacial Peene Valley, formed about 10,000 years ago, is also one of the largest contiguous fen areas in Central and Western Europe and the most pristine of all northern German river valleys. Since 2011, it has been specially protected as a 200-square-kilometer nature park. The Peene is also called the “Amazon of the North” because it branches into countless small and larger side arms along its course. And because of its incredible abundance of wildlife, especially waterfowl. Several species of eagles are native here, along with swans, ducks, gulls, swallows, storks, reed warblers, cranes, and many more. It is especially the eagles, these majesties of the skies, that repeatedly leave the paddler in awe.
Our tour started in the small town of Loitz. The charming harbor was bustling due to the beautiful weather, with numerous guests enjoying fish sandwiches, cold beer, and Aperol Spritz at the “Harbor Bistro” and the restaurant “Korl Loitz.” My friend had ordered our kayaks from the charmingly quirky operators of the “Amazonas-Camp Loitz,” whom I can wholeheartedly recommend. Sure, our boats had a few minor dings and, in my opinion, relatively little storage space. But ultimately, they performed flawlessly on the water, and with the help of the tailwind and the supporting current, we could cover distances with relatively little effort. Additionally, we were conveniently picked up at our endpoint, and there were no complaints when we postponed our arrival time.
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Three Days of Solitude
But in between were three unforgettable days in the most beautiful solitude of nature. Once we finally hit the water, we picked up the pace a bit. Around Loitz, there were too many people for our taste, with numerous houseboats with day-trippers floating down the Peene alongside our kayaks. But soon, the noise of the engines gave way to silence. Or rather, to a very different, very pleasant noise. In the reeds and in the sky, the countless birds make such a racket that one is reminded of the Bible. Specifically, the fifth day of creation, when God is believed to have created fish and birds. We don’t see people for a long time, and so begins a wonderful time of inner reflection on the water.
Thanks to the current, the kilometers just flow by, and we soon reach the water rest area near the tiny village of Sophienhof. A first swimming stop, with outhouses and a toilet container for necessities. On a walk into the village, there’s a small farm shop with refreshments and snacks, otherwise, an oppressive afternoon silence hangs over the land. Since the Peene is a protected nature park, the opportunities to land outside such locations are rather limited. It is intentionally designed so that people do not stray from the waterway. Of course, any other disturbance of nature is prohibited, but common sense dictates that. We paddle on, with today’s destination being only eight kilometers away.
An Oasis for Water Wanderers
On the Peene, it’s really easy to forget that there’s anything else in the world besides yourself and the river. The dense reeds and deep floodplain forests sometimes limit the view, but this is not at all disturbing. More disconcerting are the modern monuments that repeatedly appear on the horizon in the form of giant wind turbines or solar parks. But then the next eagle circles overhead, distracting with its aerial display from the so-called “progress” that is insatiably encroaching on the Peene Valley. The few settlements along the route sometimes seem like refreshing anachronisms.
Take Alt-Plestlin, for example, our destination for the day. A district of the municipality of Bentzin, with about 60 inhabitants, an old manor house that burned down under mysterious circumstances. And then there’s “Snack Zack,” a true oasis for water wanderers, a kind of bistro with a bar in the middle of a lovely garden. The operators, Susen and Silvio Neumann, offer a warm welcome with delicious draft beer and food at yesterday’s prices.
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The Magic of the Night
A word about the water rest areas along the Peene. These are essentially small campsites, impeccably maintained, with real toilets and even the possibility to shower. There is electricity and small kitchens, as well as official fire pits, some even stocked with firewood. The places are clean, and you can dispose of your trash at small swimming spots. They are maintained, for example, by the great team from “Adventure River Landscape,” which also rents boats. Sometimes the grounds belong to clubs, like at our second overnight stop near the small town of Gützkow.
At night, the Peene reveals its own magic. If possible, the birds, frogs, and cicadas are even louder than during the day. Anyone who has been in the jungle, like me, will now truly understand why the river is also called the “Amazon of the North.” When a spectacular starry sky appears in the clear firmament, you might not want to sleep despite a tiring day on the water. Your arms and shoulders may be tired and sore from paddling, but you can’t escape this magic. Until eventually, your eyes close on their own.
A Little Color Against the Right
The second day on the water flies by between hours of meditation and visits to the places along the route. First, the 30-soul hamlet of Alt-Jagenow. At midday, the small town of Jarmen lies about halfway along the route. A shockingly ugly harbor facility and a lot of vacancies in the town. The blooming landscapes along the Peene are not found here.
On a hot day, you seem to meet all the residents of Jarmen. T-shirts with slogans like “Team Germany” or even “Secured Right-Wing Extremist” make us return to our boats. But not before a short visit to the “Kritzel-Café,” where creativity educator Bettina Münchberg exhibits art with her husband Lutz. Many of the works are her own, some are from her students from all over Germany. Visitors are naturally invited for coffee and cake. A brave attempt to use a lot of color against the brown that seems to have unfortunately taken root in the minds of many people in the region. If you want to visit the gallery, you should make an appointment in advance.
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Beware of the “Surprise Pizza”
We paddle on, away from the noise of the Jarmen highway bridge, back into the silence of the Peene. And before we know it, we are approaching the water rest area in Gützkow. To reach it, you have to paddle into a small side arm of the river. Numerous stilt houses line the banks, reminiscent of settlements along the real Amazon. The campsite then greets you with such an idyllic setting that it almost overwhelms you. Thatched cottages, clean sanitary facilities with showers, plenty of space.
Paddle Frenzy
On our way back, the sky explodes in a true frenzy of impressionist primary colors before the night once again sets off a cosmic fireworks display, accompanied by the gentle lullaby of the local wildlife sounds. Thus strengthened, we continue on the last day of our tour on the Peene towards Stolpe. It is now truly effortless gliding, with twelve kilometers flying by in a paddle frenzy. And that’s even though we don’t really have to exert ourselves, as the river’s current does most of the work. At our destination, we are greeted by a whole festival of people bustling along the beautiful promenade.
We refresh ourselves at the very chic “Stolper Fährkrug” and then make one last swimming stop. The weather is absolutely perfect, but unfortunately, our tour ends here. The Peene itself flows a few more kilometers to Anklam. There it becomes the Peenestrom, which then flows into the Greifswald Bodden and thus into the Baltic Sea. Let’s hope it can maintain its status as one of the last truly natural rivers. We would certainly love to return.