Damm: Elde River, bird stopover and canoe tour

Wiesenlewitz and nature watching

South and west of Damm lies the Wiesenlewitz, part of the important Lewitz bird stopover area. There are particularly good opportunities for nature watching in autumn and spring. These two seasons give nature lovers a concrete point of reference for planning: the focus is then on migratory birds and the open landscape. The river, wet grassland and alder forests add wet meadows and wooded banks to the picture of the Elde Valley.

The village’s layout also reflects its proximity to the water: Damm developed directly alongside the Elde as a roadside village, or a village with a roadside green. Those interested in the interplay between settlement and river landscape will find not only bird stopover areas here, but also a circular canoe tour that includes Damm.

Canoeing on the Elde

On the “Garwitz Circular Canoe Tour,” the first leg runs from Lewitzcamp along the Elde to Damm. You must portage about 150 metres before the Damm–Malchow canal bridge. After carrying the canoe about 30 metres overland, you continue into the Alte Elde, the original river channel. The two approximate distances give a clear sense of the portage section without specifying a travel time.

The return leg of the circular tour follows a side channel of the Elde. This section is free of motorboats, has frequent wide bends and a gentle gradient, and is easy to navigate throughout. The outward and return legs therefore differ in the features described: the first leg includes a portage, while the return is characterised by its motorboat-free side channel and bends.

Damm village church and rectory

The village church dates from the 15th century. This small late-medieval church is near the “Pfarrhaus Damm” youth education centre. Visitors who would like to see inside the church can contact the education centre’s staff. The rectory hosts conferences, seminars, activity breaks and retreats for all age groups; events there also include meetings, further training and school trips. The church and education centre thus offer two different cultural points of interest in Damm: the history of the religious building and the rectory’s current use.

Nature and town history in the wider destination of Parchim

The wider destination of Parchim offers another perspective on nature at Lake Wockersee. The lake on the northern edge of Parchim covers 62 hectares and is ideal for walking, swimming and boating. The Wockertal nature conservation area is directly adjacent to it. Eichberg is a starting point for a walk around the lake. Those who would like to combine nature experiences with a specific trail theme can also find the kingfisher educational trail at Unterer Voigtsdorfer Teich in the Wockertal: it is about 1,100 metres long and has nine stops.

Parchim’s history also offers its own attractions. St. Mary’s Church is the oldest building still standing in Parchim today. The Fangelturm was built in 1360 as part of a landwehr fortification for the town’s outer defences; today it is the only tower of its kind in Mecklenburg and is one of the state’s oldest structures. General public town tours take place during the summer months on request and have been offered since 1997. The guided tours also include walks exploring medieval Parchim and the history of Parchim’s dragoons. The historical focus thus ranges from buildings to themed walks; participation in the general tours is by request.

Discover more destinations: Obere Warnow, Spornitz, Groß Godems, Zölkow, Domsühl, Ziegendorf, Lewitzrand.

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Amt Parchimer Umland.