September 15, 2025, 4:23 am | Read time: 9 minutes
At the border between Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern lies the Feldberger Lake District, a unique and pristine natural paradise. Especially during a boat trip, this magically beautiful landscape and its deep forests and waters can be well explored. There’s so much to see that, like our author, you can also undertake a multi-day paddle hike with a kayak, from crystal-blue lakes, lonely villages, and a view straight into the heart of the universe.
For a brief moment, the reflection of clouds on the Schmaler Luzin, one of the magically beautiful waters of the Feldberger Lake District, creates a unique optical, or rather spiritual, illusion. As my kayak glides silently on the otherwise completely calm water, the clarity of the turquoise blue beneath me makes it feel as if I’m paddling directly over the sky itself. And I feel like I’m in heaven, as the multi-day trip with two good old friends has started spectacularly. I’ve often hiked in the unique area between Berlin and Hamburg, but never a paddle hike. And it offers everything that truly makes my heart race.
Deep forests, lakes like something out of a fairy tale, dreamy villages, and in between, worldwide solitude in an archaic nature shaped by the last ice age. That’s the Feldberger Lake District. By car, it’s not even two hours from my home in Berlin, but also easily accessible by public transport. And yet it’s a completely different world, where you find a lot of peace and perhaps even yourself at the end of a journey there. The movement on the water also contributes to this, a virtually weightless way of getting around. At your own pace, paddle stroke by paddle stroke, you can discover a unique chain of waters.
The Rhythm of Others
Our journey begins in Feldberg, somewhat like the “capital” of the Feldberger Lake District. Here, you have numerous options to rent water sports vehicles of all kinds from various providers. We chose hiking kayaks, as we plan to be on the road for two days and camp along the way. Seeing the luggage my two colleagues are carrying, I have to chuckle a bit upon arrival. You might almost think we’re embarking on a weeks-long expedition on the Amazon. Nevertheless, we manage to stow everything in the hatches of our kayaks, which are then covered with a waterproof protective cover. And we’re off into this other world that will captivate us for two days.
The first paddle strokes, the houses of Feldberg and the beautiful church tower slowly shrink as we begin our adventure on the so-called Haussee. The cell phone cameras are clicking non-stop already, a starker contrast to our everyday life in the big city is hardly imaginable. Above us, the sharp cries of the ospreys, the kings of the Feldberger Lake District. Majestically, they glide across the azure sky. And we try to emulate them down here on Earth. Although gliding is not quite how our tour starts, it feels more like a paddle regatta. Especially one friend sets an adventurous pace, as if he wants to reach the day’s destination in record time. That’s how it is sometimes in a friendship where you don’t see each other as often as you’d like. You first have to measure each other again, and get used to the rhythm of others.
Also interesting: Feldberger Lake District: The Unknown Natural Paradise
Like a Mirage
We’re already in the Breiter Luzin, one of the five lakes we want to navigate today. Here runs a water ski route, and the Feldberger Lake District is internationally known for the sport and its local representatives. We have to yield to a heavily motorized local who plows through the water as if he’s in a Formula 1 car. Soon, however, it becomes quieter again, as we reach, with already slightly aching arms, the most magical body of water in this unique natural paradise. The Schmaler Luzin, a long lake completely surrounded by dense mixed forest, whose otherworldly blue constantly amazes us. Up to 40 meters deep, its water is so clear that you can see the bottom in many places.
A magical world of sunken giant trees and schools of fish reveals itself, and as mentioned earlier, the sky reflects like a mirage. “It’s so beautiful here,” one of us says from time to time, and nothing more needs to be said. We feel three hearts beating in harmony with delight across the boats. Consequently, the pace of our kayaks slows down considerably. Arrive? Cover distance? Who would think of such mundane things in the face of such beauty? The urge for self-optimization already troubles us enough in everyday life; this is self-healing at the highest level, especially since the sun shines despite a forecast of rain, as if someone had just turned it on.
The First Berlin Hipster
Then, a familiar, beloved stop at a bathing spot whimsically called Goat Meadow. One of the perhaps most beautiful places in the Feldberger Lake District, as the Schmaler Luzin shines particularly blue here. The coloring is due to lime particles in the water reflected by the sun. By late August, the water is already autumnally cool, and some trees are already turning yellow. Occasionally, gusts of beech leaves blow into the water—a nearly melancholic hint of the end of another all-too-short summer briefly weighs on the soul. Rilke already saw it: “Lord, it is time. The summer was very great. Lay your shadow on the sundials, and let the winds loose on the fields.”
Eventually, these winds drive us to the shores of the small town of Carwitz. Home to another German poet, the heavily alcohol- and cocaine-dependent Hans Fallada. Something like the first Berlin hipster, he fled to the Feldberger Lake District when everything became too much for him. Here, with a view of his Schmaler Luzin, he is also buried. We now face a very special passage, as we want to cross into the Carwitzer See via a narrow canal called Bäk. First, we glide through an archaic mangrove landscape, the roots of countless alders stretch into the water as if they were thirsty. Then, however, we encounter a surprising obstacle, as the Bäk in Carwitz itself is completely dried up at the actually very short transition from one body of water to another.
Germany’s Lake Paradise That Hardly Anyone Knows
The Best Travel Tips for the Mecklenburg Lake District
Where the Whole Town Dances
This means hauling three fully loaded kayaks about 200 meters to the entry point of Carwitzer See. Cursing, groaning, maybe even brief thoughts of turning back. But the prospect of spending the night at the nearby campsite, which we want to reach via the water, is too tempting. And shortly thereafter, we land there. First, secure a spot, set up tents, the chronic fear of city dwellers of space shortage. At the reception, however, they are quite relaxed and assign us a spot right by the beach, 15 euros per person with a tent, for me as a bivouacker, even only 8.50 euros. Today, I want to admire a hopefully spectacular starry sky, lying only on my sleeping mat in my sleeping bag. Let me reveal this much: The cosmic ballet of the Feldberger Lake District ultimately exceeded all my expectations by light-years.
Since it’s only early afternoon, we head out again to the lonely bays of Carwitzer See. While my friends cook something, I swim a long lap. Absolute silence and solitude. We could just as well be stranded primitive humans. After circling a large island, the golden evening light drives us back to the campsite, where I grill a few sausages for us. Three men and food, prepared over the fire. Is there a more clichéd and beautiful image for a successful outing with old friends? A few beers draw us to the “Old Barn.” There, the whole town dances to good live music. Then the evening ends by the campfire, and my solitary star hour in the Feldberger Lake District begins.
Also interesting: The Natural Paradise in Europe You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
The Moment of the Big Bang
Shortly after nightfall, the stars shine as if it were the night after the first day of creation. Shooting stars race across the sky repeatedly, which exudes an all-encompassing, calming darkness. And this despite the fact that a proud yellow half-moon also stands in the sky. How must this spectacle be during a new moon? Sleep is out of the question anyway, because sawmill-like snoring emanates from all the tents around me. So I just keep staring at this natural spectacle, as if I could look directly back to the moment of the Big Bang. Even as my eyes keep closing on their own, I try to stay awake for this unique experience—”No, Mom, I’m not tired yet.” I, a child of the cosmos, and an unforgettable night.
Thick fog still wafts over Carwitzer See as the first nude bathers wake me at seven in the morning after a typical campsite sleep. So first, a swim. And soon my friends, much sleepier than I am, are up. A tea, porridge prepared on the camping stove. Plus a few rolls and cocoa from the store at the “Old Barn.” Its prices, however, must be soberly considered as modern highway robbery. But I’ve also had to buy baked goods at the gas station in the Feldberger Lake District, so I won’t complain further here. Instead, we pack up and paddle off again with heavy hearts, toward everyday life, where my friends work full-time and are also fathers.
No one is in a hurry now, though; we glide leisurely over the magical waters of the Feldberger Lake District. The sun smiles even more cheerfully than the day before—oh, may this short vacation never end. Once more through the Schmaler Luzin, once more swimming at Goat Meadow, then a shortcut through the Water Lily Canal. We’re already back in Feldberg. The weather is so splendid that I decide to stay here alone for a few more hours. After a carefree swim, I finally take the bus through places like Koldenhof, Dolgen, and Carpin to Neustrelitz, and from there, with the completely overcrowded regional train, back to Berlin. Traveling with me is the wish we all had—to return soon for another paddle hike, but with a bit more time.