Müritz Again, But Warmer
We went back to Waren on the first weekend of May for a one-day getaway, and it immediately felt like the same old friend, but with warmer weather, blossoms instead of bare branches, and far better lighting. Mid-March had been lovely in that early-spring, slightly-too-early-for-everything way, but May gave us open attractions, boat rides, and the general feeling that the town had finally woken up properly.
This time we took the RE5 from Berlin, which is a solid choice in theory and a slightly aggressive one in practice on weekends. The train was super packed, so getting on one stop before Central Station was the smartest travel decision of the day, because we actually got seats. Sometimes the real sightseeing begins before you even leave Berlin.
After arriving, we walked straight to the harbour to check the boats and bought tickets for a 3 pm one-hour Müritz cruise. That was one of the things we had missed on our March trip, because the boats simply were not running yet — so this felt like a very satisfying spring bonus.
Tower and Harbour
Before the boat ride, we headed to St. Mary Church and climbed the tower, which had also been off-limits on our earlier visit because it only opens from 30 March. The climb is 176 stairs — or 177 if you count the extra step at the entrance doors — and the reward at the top is worth every one of them. There are four windows you can open and close yourself, facing north, south, east, and west.
North looks especially beautiful toward Tiefwarensee, while west and south give you the old town and Müritz. The entrance was €2, which feels very fair for that kind of view. It is one of those places that makes you stop talking for a second — not because you are out of breath, but because you are busy trying to decide which direction deserves the most photos.
Boat Ride and Lunch
Afterwards we walked back to the harbour and stopped for a short food break at Fischladen, which shares a terrace with Klabautermann — the restaurant we had already discovered on our first visit. We had a fish sandwich with smoked salmon, and it was genuinely delicious. It is always a good sign when a quick stop accidentally turns into one of the day's better food moments.
Then came the boat cruise: one blissful sunny hour on Müritz, with just enough wind to remind us it was still spring. The way out was a bit breezier, and the way back felt much calmer, which somehow made the return feel even more peaceful. Müritz is so large that the boat only barely reached its beginning, which is wild when you remember that the bike loop around the lake is over 80 km.
Cake and Old Town
Once back on land, we did what one should do after a boat trip and went for cake. Dat Tortenhus was, once again, one of the highlights — this time with blueberry-vanilla cake that was exactly as good as it sounds. We got a huge slice just because the cake was nearly finished and we had ordered one piece for two, which turned out to be an excellent decision.
After that we wandered through the old town a bit, then sat on a bench by the lakeside and enjoyed the afternoon sun. That quiet hour was one of those simple travel moments that sticks with you more than the bigger attractions, probably because it asks so little of you and gives back so much.
A Missed Bite
Since we still had at least two hours of travel ahead of us, we decided to have one last bite before heading back. The idea was good; the place, less so. We were hoping for another delicious smoked fish sandwich, but instead ended up with a rather average Bismarckbrötchen (pickled herring fillet sandwich) at DOCK 10 Fisch & Meer. It was not bad enough to be a disaster, just not good enough to recommend, and definitely not somewhere we would go back to for a fish sandwich.
Before returning to the station, we made one more stop to see Hotel am Tiefwarensee, where we had stayed on our first trip. In spring it looks even nicer: blossoming trees, flowers everywhere, and that same quiet lakeside charm — it felt like the hotel had put on its best outfit for us.
We also found an unexpected welcome committee: a surprising amount of geese wandering the hotel grounds, including little baby geese. Some things you simply cannot plan for.
Back to Berlin
Then it was time for RE5 again, and the train was full once more, so sitting down was off the table. In a way, that was the only real downside of the day, and even that felt minor compared to everything else we had squeezed into a single spring outing.
Müritz is absolutely worth revisiting on a warm spring day, especially once the tower is open and the boats are running. Even with a packed regional train, the day felt like a very good use of May.