Discover Parchim: Wockersee, Nature and City History
Accommodation in Parchim
Parchim combines striking reminders of its city history with nature experiences at Wockersee and in the Wockertal valley. At the lake, you can hike, swim or go boating; in the city, churches, historic buildings and a museum take you through different chapters of the past. This lets you plan your stay around what you would most like to discover: water and landscapes, city history, or both.
Blick vom Turm der St.-Georg-Kirche auf den Wockersee in Parchim.
Photo: Niteshift ( talk ) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Water and nature at Wockersee
The 62-hectare Wockersee lies on the northern edge of Parchim. It is ideal for hiking, swimming and boating. The Wockertal nature conservation area borders the lake directly. If you would like to explore nature along a designated trail, you can find the Eisvogel nature trail at the Lower Voigtsdorfer Pond in the Wockertal: it is about 1,100 metres long and has nine stations. Its approximate length and number of stations give you a clear framework for this nature walk.
Eichberg is a starting point for walking around Wockersee. There is a canoe rental station at Fischerdamm, which is very easy to reach and provides a direct link between the city and nature. This means you can choose activities on the water as well as hiking as a focus for your stay.
City history between the museum and ramparts
The permanent exhibition of the Parchim Museum is housed in the Kulturmühle. Covering 900 m², it presents the city's history from its beginnings to the present day. This offers a comprehensive timeline for anyone who wants to get to know Parchim through more than individual historic buildings. St. Mary's Church is the oldest building in Parchim still standing today. St. George's Church is considered regionally significant because of its historical, architectural and art-historical importance.
The Parchim ramparts can also be enjoyed today as an urban park; they cover about 4.4 hectares. Another surviving piece of the city's history can be seen on Am Wallhotel street: there, you can view a very well-preserved section of the Parchim city wall. The Fangelturm tower was built in 1360 as part of a landwehr, a defensive earthwork protecting the outer city. Today, it is the only tower of its kind in Mecklenburg and one of the state's oldest buildings. The museum, churches, ramparts and city wall offer different ways to explore the city if you would like to focus your stay more on culture.
City tours and the fair
During the summer months, public general city tours are offered on request through Heimatbund Parchim e.V.; they have been running since 1997. Public guided tours also include walks exploring Parchim in the Middle Ages and the history of Parchim's dragoons. You can choose between a general overview and themed tours. The Parchim Martinimarkt is a four-day fair featuring action, fun, entertainment and food.
Getting there and finding your way
If you travel by train, you will first reach Ludwigslust or Schwerin on Deutsche Bahn, then continue to Parchim with ODEG. From Parchim station, it takes about ten minutes to walk to the city centre; alternatively, you can continue by taxi or bus. This information will help you plan your journey and the route into the city centre. When looking for a holiday apartment in Parchim, you can choose the focus of your stay based on whether you would like to include mainly city history, Wockersee or nature experiences in the Wockertal in your trip.
Discover more places
If you would like to browse other destination pages, you can also find Hagenow, Amt Ostufer Schweriner See, Amt Zarrentin, Lübtheen, Amt Parchimer Umland, Amt Crivitz, Amt Hagenow-Land and Goldenstädt.
For the main travel overview: Ludwigslust-Parchim.
