My Hometown as a Destination

As I get a older, traveling becomes more and more of a passion. There are so many places to see, my bucket list is endless and more places are added on a monthly basis. Most of these are quite afar and wouldn’t be doable with the kids. However I would love to bring the whole family on a trip that is on my bucket list, too.

Something that people might not see as a destination, is be your own hometown. My kids haven’t seen my hometown just yet. Well, Matthew did but he was only ten months old at the time so wouldn’t remember the surroundings.  As most people know, I am originally from Germany. I am from a small town called Waren (Mueritz). The Mueritz is the biggest lake in Germany. It’s actually a big tourist attraction, particularly during the Summer months. The town would be packed. The town is surrounded by hundreds of lakes. The house we used to live in, was just a small bike ride away and you could see the lake from our house. You can imagine where we spent most of our Summers.

As a born “Warener” I do like to explore my own hometown. There are many things to see and do that might be appealing to you as well.

“Haus des Gastes” Tourist Information

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This listed half-timbered house is located in the middle of town. You will find all relevant information about the town, including brochures and souvenirs. You can avail of tickets for many different tourist attrations and of course available rooms in hotels, apartments or holiday homes. The house was built at the end of the 18th century on the medieval remains of older houses.

Mueritz Lake Cruise

Enjoy a cruise on Germany’s biggest lake. I’ve done quite a few of these in the past. There are many boats in the port but the most popular one would be the “Europa”. Departure times are generally displayed on a board in front of each boat. Prices may vary per boat and so does the total of the journey. The shortest one is one hour long and the price is €12 for an adult and €6 for a child. It’s definitely worth it, especially on beautiful days like we get these days. Why not head for something to eat in one of the beautiful restaurant along the port after. I can recommend the Italian restaurant Rialto to you.

See the town by Chu Chu Train

Why not allow yourself a relaxing and eventful ride on the Chu Chu train. Leaving from the port at the “Steinmole”, the train will take approximately 50 minutes and takes you through most of the historic placed. Of course there is commentary on board. The season for this train is generally from May to October and leaves every hour. What child doesn’t like a train ride and gets a rest from walking. For an adult it’s €8 and for a child €4. 

Mueritzeum Museum Visit

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This museum was only finished in 2007. I managed to visit the museum once or twice. The historic museum building offers over 2,300 square meters of diverse nature information and experiences. One of the biggest attractions is the freshwater aquarium with over 25 basins. In these basins are about 40 fish species, crabs and other water inhabitants. The Mueritzeum is part of many city tours that are available around the town.

Bike Tour around the lake

As a child my mum and me used to go on a lot of bike tours around the local lake. The lake is called “Tiefwarensee”. We took many breaks throughout and climbed the hills. Great memories. Sometimes we would stop for a bite to eat in Paulshoehe which is close to the town’s train station. The tour will take approximately around 2 hours and 30 minutes. It’s even great for a picnic and maybe a cheeky swim if you are heading during the Summer.

View of Waren from St. Marien Church

The church is the oldest building of the town. The most worth seeing things are the crucifixion group in the style of Tyrolean wood carving and several paintings such as the now uncovered triumphal arch painting “Ascension of Christ”. Walk up 176 steps and enjoy the glorious view of the town’s seascape. It’s definitely worth it.

Wander around the historic inner city

The inner city has a lot of shops and boutiques to offer. As well as cafes and restaurants. One of my favourite restaurants is “Unautic”, so make sure you stop by and have a Schnitzel or whatever you fancy. A few years ago we also got a small shopping centre in addition to the shopping experience. I would find a few bargains there sometimes. You will also have to stop by in Janny’s Ice cream in the main square. Best ice cream in my opinion.

Get sucked into nature by the Mueritz National Park

I recommend you renting a bike for this adventure. With over 320 km/² it is the biggest national park in Germany. It is fully developed with hiking and biking trails, rest areas, observation towers and observation posts. Three quarters of it is covered in forest and is showing over 100 lakes.  A bus service from the centre of Waren is  available with a big trailer catering for your bike to take on board.

Castle Klink

Klink is pretty much like Waren but way smaller. It’s a village. However it’s very popular for its sport activities, beach and long walks along the water. You can rent all sorts of boats and spend a day on the water if you wanted to. Though the castle is only an attraction if you rented a car. You could get the bus out there but for me that would be too much hassle. It’s a beautiful place and I have visited Klink countless times.

After mesmerizing all this in a blog post, I would totally take the next plane and head over to Germany for a few weeks. In fact I haven’t been to my hometown in four years. Hopefully I will be able to visit very soon again.