Röbel an der Müritz, Malchow & Jabel: 3 Towns That Will Enchant You
It’s not the big cities that make up the charm of the Müritz region – it’s its small towns and villages: a complete old town in the middle of a lake, colorful rows of half-timbered houses climbing the hill up from the harbor, and villages where in the evening the crickets really are still louder than the traffic. Anyone traveling here quickly understands: the Lake District doesn’t slow you down because there’s nothing to do – but because everything is close, small and endearing. We’ll take you to Röbel an der Müritz, to the island town of Malchow and to our home village of Jabel – three towns, three completely different characters, one shared promise: here you’ll unwind. These are places that still enchant their visitors to this day.
Röbel an der Müritz: the colorful town on the water
Röbel is best seen for the first time from the water – just as it has revealed itself to sailors over the centuries: colorful half-timbered houses in red, yellow and blue, staggered up the hill from the shore, towered over by the mighty brick towers of the St. Marien and St. Nikolai churches. Hardly any town on the Müritz has preserved its silhouette so well.
Down at the Röbel town harbor, it’s wonderful to while away the time: an ice cream in hand, feet dangling, gazing at the sailboats and the long pier that reaches far out into the Müritz. Anyone who climbs the 66 steps to the restored Dutch windmill is rewarded with the best view over town and lake – and understands why the people of Röbel love their landmark so much.
And then Röbel has one more ace up its sleeve, one that families in particular appreciate: the Müritz-Therme with its adventure pool, slide and sauna area right on the shore. On rainy days it’s the lifeline of the entire region – and the reason why seasoned Müritz vacationers take the weather forecast remarkably in stride. The harbor, mill, old town and thermal baths together make for a thoroughly enjoyable half-day trip that combines wonderfully with a bike tour along the western shore.
Malchow: the island town with the swing bridge
Malchow, the island town, is a true original – and quite literally so: the entire historic old town lies on an island in the Malchower See, connected to the mainland by a causeway on one side and the famous swing bridge on the other. Where else in Germany does an entire old town live on the water?
On the hour, visitors’ favorite spectacle plays out at the bridge: it swings to the side, and the boats of the lake chain file through in single file – sailors, houseboats, canoeists, everyone waving, everyone being photographed. It sounds unspectacular, but it’s surprisingly addictive: hardly anyone watches just once. In between, the winding island alleyways beckon with brick houses, small shops and ever-new glimpses out onto the water.
Also worth seeing is the Malchow Monastery on the southern shore with its organ museum and atmospheric monastery garden – a place where it suddenly goes completely quiet, even though the town is only a few minutes away. And in Malchow families have a double bill: at the edge of town, the monkey forest with its large Barbary macaque family and the summer toboggan run await. Together with ice cream at the harbor and swing-bridge watching, that’s the stuff childhood memories are made of.
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Jabel: the village by the lake – our insider tip
And then there’s Jabel. No harbor town, no souvenir shops, no tour buses – a small village on the Jabelscher See, nestled in the Nossentiner/Schwinzer Heide nature park. The forest reaches right down to the shore, on the long natural beach children splash in the shallow water, and above the lake sea eagles and ospreys circle. We admit it: we’re not entirely impartial. But hear us out.
What makes Jabel special is a combination that’s so rare: absolute peace and quiet, yet right in the middle of it all. Via a canal you can take the boat over into the Kölpinsee and on into the great Müritz lake chain – so you stay on the quiet lake and yet set off directly into Germany’s largest boating area. Malchow is ten minutes away, Waren fifteen, the bison reserve practically across the way.
That’s exactly why many of our guests come back year after year: front-row seats on the water, but no hustle and bustle; all the sights within reach, but a frog concert instead of traffic noise in the evening. The neighboring village of Nossentin, too, a historic green village on the edge of the nature park, is one of the quiet beauties of the area – anyone who strolls through its linden avenue understands, without further explanation, what is meant by “Mecklenburg idyll.”
Even more quiet beauties around the Müritz
Anyone who has taken a liking to the small towns can expand the collection almost at will – the region is full of them. Klink, for example, with its fairytale castle right on the Müritz shore, which today is a hotel and yet still lends its backdrop to every passerby. Or the fishing village of Sietow, where the smokehouse still smells of genuine craftsmanship and the fish comes straight from the cutter.
Further south, Vipperow on the Kleine Müritz and Ludorf with its rare octagonal brick church from the 13th century are well worth a visit – a structure that draws architecture lovers from all over the country and yet is usually deserted. Almost every village on the lake chain has a small harbor, an old church and at least one spot where you’ll simply want to let the afternoon drift by.
These corners are best discovered off the main roads – by bike along the avenues or by boat across the quiet bays. It’s precisely between the well-known destinations that the moments hide which end up staying in your memory: the farm shop with honey from its own beekeeping, the nameless bathing spot, the stork on the barn roof. The Lake District rewards all those who let themselves drift – a mania for planning, by contrast, is consistently ignored here.
Our recommendation: the three-town tour in a single day
All three towns in one day? Doable – and entirely without stress. Start the morning in Jabel with a walk by the lake, when the water is still mirror-smooth and the eagles are making their first round. Breakfast comes afterward, with a view of the water – that’s how a day trip should begin.
Then it’s the ten minutes to Malchow: experience the swing bridge on the hour, stroll through the island alleys, visit the monastery and monastery garden, and have lunch by the water. Anyone traveling with children plans in the monkey forest instead – and then the three-town tour simply becomes a two-town tour with monkeys. Also good.
In the afternoon, on to Röbel: stroll along the harbor promenade, take on the climb to the windmill, coffee and cake with a Müritz view – and if it rains, the Müritz-Therme instead of the mill. The distances are short, the parking is usually relaxed, and no one forces you to be on time.
Back in Jabel, the finest item on the day’s program awaits: the sunset at the jetty, optionally with a cool drink from our restaurant terrace. Sporty cyclists, by the way, can manage the complete loop as a day tour of around 50 kilometers – with swimming and ice cream breaks as needed and the good feeling of having honestly earned dinner.
Live where others vacation: in Jabel
Why head back into town in the evening when the finest thing is right on your doorstep? Most of our guests stop asking themselves that question by the second day. At Genuss-Ferien in Jabel you camp at the nature and beach campsite right on the shore – many pitches with a view of the water, your own sandy beach, a harbor for your boat and a restaurant where the day winds down over pizza and a lake view.
It’s more comfortable in the well-equipped rental caravan, which is already move-in ready and waiting for you – gas bottle, dishes and grill included, just arrive and settle in. And for everyone who prefers solid walls, there are our vacation apartments and holiday homes in Jabel and Nossentin – from the cozy double to the large group house for 28 people with a sauna and event room.
From here you can reach Malchow in 10, Waren in 15 and Röbel in 25 minutes – it’s hard to imagine a better base for exploring the small Müritz towns. And the best part: after every trip you don’t come back to a hotel room, but to your own lake.
Our restaurant: indulgence with a lake view
Linger on our beautiful terrace with 120 seats and a direct view over the Jabelscher See and the Nossentiner Schwinzer Heide nature park. We offer you an appealing selection of drinks, various café specialties, as well as small fresh dishes and a selection of different pizzas. We also offer you cakes and gâteaux.
120 seats with a lake view
Terrace, lounge chairs
Campfire corner
Fresh cuisine & pizza
Regional, seasonal, nothing from a packet
Coffee, homemade gâteaux
What guests say
This is what we're proud of:
At home in the loveliest triangle on the Müritz
Malchow in 10, Waren in 15, Röbel in 25 minutes: Jabel lies right in the middle of the loveliest small Müritz towns – and is itself the quietest little spot of them all, right on the lake in the nature park.
After every town trip, you don’t come back to a hotel room here, but to your own beach.
- 1.5 hrs
- from Berlin
- 2 hrs
- from Hamburg
- Right
- on the Jabelscher See
Frequently asked questions about Röbel, Malchow & Jabel
More questions?
Stroll along the harbor promenade and pier, visit the colorful half-timbered old town and the windmill, have coffee with a Müritz view – and in bad weather, head to the Müritz-Therme with its slide and sauna.
Yes, especially with children and on rainy days: the sports and adventure pools, slide and sauna area are located right on the Müritz shore. Many families plan the thermal baths firmly as a bad-weather option.
Because the entire historic old town lies on an island in the Malchower See – connected to the mainland by a causeway and the famous swing bridge. This location makes Malchow unique throughout Germany.
In season, usually every hour, so that the boats of the lake chain can pass. The opening is a little attraction in itself – best watched from the harbor with an ice cream in hand.
The location: right on the Jabelscher See in the Nossentiner/Schwinzer Heide nature park, with a canal connection to the Kölpinsee and the Müritz lake chain. Quiet and close to nature, yet still central between Malchow and Waren – a real insider tip.
All the towns lie within a radius of about 25 kilometers around the Müritz and Kölpinsee. From Jabel you can reach Malchow in 10, Waren in 15 and Röbel in 25 minutes – perfect for day trips from a single base.
Malchow yes – it lies directly on the lake chain, and the swing bridge opens every hour. Röbel you can reach via the Müritz. From Jabel you set off through the canal into the Kölpinsee and on into the boating area.
Malchow scores with its monkey forest and summer toboggan run, Röbel with its thermal baths – and Jabel with a shallow natural beach, playground and boat and bike rental right at the site. Best of all: combine all three.