Set on the banks of the River Elde, Malchow lies surrounded by lakes in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It has been in existence since at least the 12th century and was sacked by the Saxons during the Wendish Crusade before a Cistercian nunnery was established in the town in 1298.
Things to do in Malchow
One of Malchow’s most impressive buildings is the Stadtkirche Sankt Johannis, which was constructed in the 1870s in a Neo-Gothic style. It features a 50-metre-high square tower topped by an octagonal spire and houses stained-glass windows depicting scenes from the life of Christ. Admire the beautiful chandelier and the altarpiece by Theodor Fischer, as well as the Friedrich Friese-built organ.
On the eastern shore of Lake Malchow is the Mecklenburgisches Orgelmuseum, which occupies the town’s famous abbey. The site is dominated by a magnificent Gothic Revival-style church, which was built in the 1840s with a 52-metre-high brick tower. You can learn about the rich history of organ building in Mecklenburg before strolling through the landscaped gardens.
Travelling with kids? Don’t miss a visit to the Toboggan Run and Monkey Forest, a wooded area home to a troop of Barbary macaques. You can photograph these cheeky primates and watch as they search for food and groom one another. After your visit, the kids can let loose in the children’s play area or fly down the summer toboggan run.
Getting around Malchow
Malchow is around an hour’s drive from Rostock and 40 minutes from Rostock–Laage Airport, which has seasonal flights to destinations across Europe. The much larger Berlin Brandenburg Airport is two hours away. Trains connect from Waren to the Inselstadt Malchow railway station while the town is compact enough to explore on foot.