Melz: Lake, Nature and Village History

Lake Melz and the landscape

Lake Melz is near Melz and Röbel and covers around 29 hectares. It is a river lake, with the Elde flowing in and out. This connection determines its geographical classification: the lake is part of the upper reaches of the Elde and lies east of Melz. The attractive surroundings and proximity to the Müritz offer relaxation and a chance to unwind for local residents, visitors and holidaymakers. When choosing your holiday apartment in Melz, you can therefore consider whether the character of the village and the lake landscape suit the things you would like to discover on holiday.

The trees also lend the area a distinctive character. The stands around Lake Melz include numerous oaks with trunk circumferences of more than 5 m. A group of oaks on the road from Friedrichshof to Karbow is protected as a natural monument; the largest oak in this group has a circumference of 5.90 m. These details refer to different groups of oaks and show that ancient trees are a defining feature of nature in and around Melz in several places.

The insect meadow is another example of how nature is cared for in the village: in 2018, the first insect meadow was created in the square by the new fire station at Dorfstraße 8a, 17209 Melz. Together with the ancient oaks, it offers different ways to experience nature—from individual large trees to a purpose-planted meadow.

Village church, estate and archaeological finds

Melz village church was rebuilt in 1816 by the estate owner and patron at the time, Friedrich August von Ferber. Extensive restoration work was carried out through 2016, largely repairing structural damage that had developed in the preceding years. For visitors interested in history, the church offers a tangible connection to the village’s past, distinct from the traces of the former manor house.

After the manor house burned down in 1945, a stable, remains of the estate wall and fragments of a park survived from the former Melz estate. These remnants do not represent a completely preserved estate complex, but rather different parts of an earlier property that remained after the fire. The Melz hoard is one of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s largest archaeological treasures. In autumn 1970, a unique 14-piece bronze treasure was also unearthed in the Zehnten-Wiese meadow in Melz-Friedrichshof.

According to a local tradition, nine chieftains are said to have buried their insignia of rank in a part of the Zehnten-Wiese meadow in Melz-Friedrichshof. This story gives the village’s name another historical connection, but remains explicitly a tradition. You can also make this a focus of your cultural holiday: the church and estate history, archaeological finds and the story of the Zehnten-Wiese offer different ways to explore Melz’s past.

Melz as part of a route

The Ice Age Route from Fürstenberg/Havel to Röbel/Müritz passes through Buchholz, Kieve, Melz, Karbow and Bollewick. Melz is therefore listed as one of the places on this route.

A walk around Lake Melz also has a place in the village’s walking history: the Bund für Natur und Heimat (Nature and Homeland Association) organised this walk every year. During your stay, the lake, landscape, village history and route can appeal to different interests. A holiday apartment in Melz could serve as a base for exploring the village; you can decide which topics to focus on according to your personal travel interests.

Discover more places

If you would like to consider more places for your holiday plans: Schwarz, Altenhof, Grabow-Below, Priborn, Ludorf, Rechlin, Massow and Zepkow.

For the broader travel overview: Amt Röbel-Müritz.