Serrahn Beech Forest, June 2023

Serrahn is a small beech forest, UNESCO-inscribed in 2011, which forms part of the larger Müritz National Park in Mecklenburg Western Pomerania, around 90 minutes north of Berlin. The wider area, dubbed by the local tourist board as "the land of a thousand lakes", centered around lake Müritz, the largest inland water body in Germany, is partly hilly but mostly flat, shaped by the last Ice Age, sparsely populated and mainly covered by forests, lakes and marshes, and these days popular for all kind of recreational activities, including hiking in the woods.

Neustrelitz is the nearby transportation hub, with very regular trains to Berlin. Bus 419 connects Neustrelitz with Zinnow, from where the main hike through Serrahn forest starts, which is a 2-hour walk (more of you take detours, see below) ending in Carpin, passing via homonymous Serrahn hamlet (population: less than 10). On weekends, morning bus services are limited, but taxis are available in Neustrelitz (call a day ahead).

The 2.7 km2 large very pretty core zone is almost fully beech trees. The ten-times larger (and still pretty, but less impressively so) buffer zone is more diverse, including spruce, pine, and oak trees. This being Germany, the main hike from Zinnow to Carpin is set up as a Waldlehrpfad (nature trail), combining recreation with education, with informative little signposts along the trail, informing hikers about the history, flora, and fauna of the region.

For fauna, I encountered a group of deer and a sounder of wild boars; from a raised hide, helpfully positioned next to Großer Serrahnsee, I noticed what appeared to be either herons or storks. Sadly, I was unable to spot the sea eagles which apparently nest nearby. I was assured wolves are regularly roaming the area.

Don’t expect primeval forest in Serrahn: this area has been cultivated by man for a very long time, and partial re-forestation after World War II, for instance, is clearly visible; however, certainly in the core zone, and also in some neighboring areas, forest cultivation was ended a few decades ago, and nature is taking over again.

As the main trail at least in part passes through the core zone, you will see plenty of beeches. This being a nature reserve, leaving the trails is strictly verboten. Other than the official trails, all historical trails through Serrahn forest have been carefully removed from all maps. At least on the map submitted to the WHC some additional historical trails can be seen, including one originating from Serrahn hamlet forking at 53.342, 13.195. Plenty of dead wood, (purposefully?) laying around particularly at the beginning of this trail deters any potential visitor, but this and other such historic trails are still clearly visible on the ground and appear to be traversable in principle, if certainly a bit rough at times.

Cute Serrahn hamlet in the middle of the forest consists of half a dozen buildings, including the rangers’ lodge, a local museum with helpful free Wi-Fi (the rest of the area is largely offline), a small photo gallery from a friendly enterprising local, and a summer cottage for rent.

Not everything is hunky-dory in the Serrahn area. When waiting for my bus in Carpin (population: 850) taking me back to civilization I noticed official court notices for upcoming auctions of three homes this month alone. On another signboard somebody was announcing a private house clearance sale.