Plau am See sits on the western shore of the Plauer See, the third largest lake in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It suits families and boaters, and the homes are scattered around the town and countryside, so check each position before booking.
Plau am See is the centre of tourism on the Plauer See, a lake about 14 km long and 5 km across at its widest. The Elde river flows through the lake and under the Hubbrücke in the middle of town, a steel lift bridge from 1916 that rises to let boats pass. Through the Elde, boats link east to the Fleesensee and the Müritz and west towards the Elbe. A largely unpaved cycle path circles the lake, with campsites on the eastern and northern shores. The town has a 13th-century brick hall church and a grid street plan on the old trade route from Brandenburg to Rostock, though a fire in 1756 destroyed most medieval buildings. Homes are mostly for four with two bedrooms, many with a garden and none with a pool.
The town of Waren (Müritz), around 40 minutes by car, with a train from there to Malchow.
The Inselstadt, reached by train from Waren, with a bus from Malchow on to Plau am See.
A lake east of Plau, reached by boat along the Elde and the Müritz-Elde waterway.
Rostock airport is the nearest, around 50 km away, with a fastest journey of about an hour and three quarters. Waren is 41 minutes by car, and from Waren a train runs to Malchow with a bus on to Plau. A car is far easier for homes scattered around the town.
Summer is the lake season, with boats passing under the lift bridge and campsites on the shores. The cycle path round the lake is largely unpaved, so dry weather helps. An annual bathtub rally, the Badewannen-Rallye, adds a local event. Boats on the Elde pass the bridge by calling ahead.
About 38 square kilometres, around 14 km from north to south and up to 5 km wide. It is the third largest lake in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, with a maximum depth of 25.5 metres.
Yes. The steel Hubbrücke of 1916 rises up to 1.86 metres, with the clearance depending on the water level. Boat operators coming from the lake phone ahead to request passage.
Yes, a circular cycle path runs round the lake, though much of it is unpaved. Campsites line the eastern and northern shores along the way.
Not directly. From Waren a regional train runs to Malchow and a bus completes the trip to Plau, taking about two hours in total.
Yes. The Elde flows through the lake and the town, linking to the Fleesensee, Kölpinsee and Müritz in the east and to the Elbe in the west, as part of the Müritz-Elde waterway.
Written by the TrustedVillas team. Last reviewed October 2026.
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