Kassow – Discover Werle Castle and the Warnow
Accommodation in Kassow
Kassow brings together the history of the former Werle Castle and a landscape shaped by the Warnow, the canal and paths along the water. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Kassow, you can consider whether the historical traces at Werle, a cycling tour or a canoe launch point best suit your holiday plans. Each experience offers a different focus – from the history of a former castle complex to a journey through several villages.
The history of Werle Castle
The former Werle Castle in the Kassow district of Werle was built around the year 600. It was the regional principal castle of the princes of the Slavic Obotrite tribe. The history of the area therefore reaches far back: those interested in the region’s early past will find a specific site here associated with an important castle complex.
Niklot is also part of Werle’s history. The Slavic prince died in 1160 during the siege of the castle by Henry the Lion and the Danish King Waldemar I. For families, this can be an opportunity to talk together while walking through Werle about the castle’s former significance and the events of its siege.
Near the village of Werle, on the east bank of the Warnow, there is a memorial to the former castle. A large glacial erratic bearing the inscription “Burg Werle” has commemorated this historic site since 1856. The stone marks the memory of the castle at a specific location and complements the story of the Obotrites and Niklot with a later memorial.
The Warnow, the canal and a rest area
Near Kassow, the Warnow can be crossed in the direction of Kambs. Before the bridge near Kassow towards Kambs, there is a canoe launch point on the left and an idyllic rest area surrounded by nature. If you would like to explore the area from the water, this is a useful starting point for a canoe trip; the rest area also offers a place to take a break in the countryside.
When finding your way around, it is worth distinguishing between the natural Warnow and the canal: the crossing near Kassow does not cross the natural Warnow, but a canal. It was built by Belgian prisoners of war between 1915 and 1917.
Cycling tour and paths to the castle
Tour 4 is about 23 kilometres long and runs from Schwaan via Vorbeck, Kambs, Kassow, Neu Kassow and Werle, as well as Mistorf, Rukieten and Göldenitz, before returning to Schwaan. The route links Kassow and Werle with several other villages on a circular tour. If you include this cycling tour in your holiday plans, you can take the full sequence of villages into account rather than assuming that Kassow is the starting and finishing point.
A path to the former castle begins just before the railway crossing near Kassow: from there, a mostly easy-to-ride gravel path leads to Werle Castle. Just before the railway crossing in Werle, there is also a small sandy parking area on the right; from there, you can walk to the former castle.
When choosing a holiday apartment in Kassow, the right option therefore depends on what you plan to focus on. If you mainly want to learn about Werle’s history and use the paths to the former castle, follow the local directions. If Tour 4 is your main focus, its route is also important: the circular tour starts and ends in Schwaan and passes through Kassow and Werle, among other places. These differences can help you assess Kassow as a holiday destination according to the experiences you would like to include in your trip.
Discover more places
More local pages to explore: Benitz, Rukieten, Vorbeck, Bröbberow and Wiendorf.
For the overarching travel overview: Amt Schwaan.
