Two day kayak-touring in Mecklenburg Lake Plateau

It’s the last week of the summer holidays for schools in Berlin, and it already feels like we’re approaching the end of summer. Time seems to be flying by - but it’s amazing how a weekend trip away from the city can slow it all down.

I just came back from a weekend kayaking trip in the Mecklenburg Lake Plateau( DE: Mecklenburgische Kleinseenplatte), about a 2-hour drive North-West of Berlin. It’s in the southern part of the state of Mecklenburg, close to the border between the state of Brandenburg. According to Wikipedia, it’s the “largest coherent lake and canal region in Germany and is sometimes called “the land of a thousand lakes”. “

The plan was that we rent our kayaks at a Kanustation in Mirow, paddle north from Mirower See to Leppinsee, camp one night and then come back to the Kanustation. You can find an interactive map here.

When we first saw our kayaks, I didn’t think we would be able to fit all our camping equipment. But it was surprising how much stuff the thing could fit in. In a two-person kayak, there were two compartments on both ends of the kayak, as well as places to strap some bulkier things like our mattresses on top and more room between our legs. I was afraid of everything getting wet, but no need to have worried there either.

The weather was perfect - not too hot, not too cold - and we paddled slow and steady towards our campsite. There’s something meditative about paddling. Nobody knew how to paddle, but once we got into the water, we were just doing it. It’s funny how we seem to just ‘know’ how to do certain things in life, almost intuitively.

After paddling for a few hours, we arrived at a campsite in Lippensee and decided to stay the night there. We put up our tents in a circle. I hadn’t camped in a group this big in a long time, and I’ve somehow missed this.

We discovered that there was a village party that night very close to where we put up our tents, so we decided to take a look. What started as a quick search for hot food turned into a full night of drinks, German Schlager music, dancing, and laughing. It was probably one of the most ’traditional’ German experiences I’ve had since moving to Germany. And it was a blast.

It was one of the best weekends I had this summer. It was mostly thanks to the great people around me, which I’m really grateful for. I also allowed myself to enjoy it too, though. Sometimes, I don’t let myself be happy even when I can. I don’t want to be that person anymore. It’s so easy just to be sad sometimes. I know this sounds corny, whiny, and privileged, but I want to choose to be more fun around people. That’s the least I can do for my friends, I think.

Anyway, really grateful for this weekend.