The Warnow has a diverse character: sometimes it shows its turbulent, adventurous side, sometimes it is quite calm and flows quietly through wildly romantic nature. The best way to get to know and love it is on the water.
The Warnow River is a total of 155 kilometers long, which rises in Grebbin near Schwerin and finally flows into the Baltic Sea in Rostock-Warnemünde. About 100 kilometers of it are paddleable - a considerable stretch, on which the Warnow presents itself from very different sides.
Near Schwerin there are good launching sites on the Warnow. Since the river here is still relatively narrow, adventurous and wild, you should definitely check in advance the Check water level. If the water level is too low, canoeing can be dangerous. The local canoe rental companies are informed and only release their boats when the water is deep enough.
From here to the breakthrough valley the Warnow is wild and challenging. For many this means pure fun, for others this part is too exciting. The river is narrow, picks up speed here and there, and sometimes small obstacles have to be navigated around. Full concentration is also required in the breakthrough valley, where the Mildenitz and Warnow rivers meet. The water gushes through gorges, rough boulders rise from the floods - a real whitewater feeling.
Still tries, to let your eyes wander as well. Look around, the nature here is really impressive. Rock walls stretch up to the sky along the riverbank, the landscape seems almost untouched.
By train comfortably and without traffic jams to Schwerin: Plan arrival.
Shortly thereafter, the Warnow, which was still roaring hardly recognizable: It spreads out and flows gently and quietly through a lovely meadow landscape. This is a comfortable place to paddle, with plenty of time to admire the beautiful nature to the left and right.
And yet the river tour From here on, the route is anything but boring: various landscapes pass by, from mystical moors to jungle-like thickets. Rest areas allow for a leisurely break, one or the other small town is waiting to be explored. A varied, exciting and invigorating journey, to which the Warnow invites with bubbling anticipation.
Cover photo: From Schwerin to Rostock - the Warnow is an excellent paddling area © TMV/Tiemann
