Kassow: Burg Werle, Warnow and Routes

Kassow offers a clear focus for those interested in cultural history: the former Burg Werle and the memorial site near the district of the same name. For orientation, there are routes to the castle, a canoe launch site, a rest area in nature and Cycle Route 4, which is about 23 kilometres long. This brings individual local sights as well as a longer route into focus.

Burg Werle and its history

The former Burg Werle is located near Kassow’s district of Werle and close to the Warnow River. It was built around the year 600 and served as the regional principal castle of the princes of the Slavic Obotrite tribe. This early date and the castle’s regional role give visitors a specific connection to the history of the Obotrite princes.

In 1160, the Slavic prince Niklot died during the siege of the castle by Henry the Lion and the Danish king Valdemar I. The construction around 600 and Niklot’s death in 1160 mark two different points in the history of Burg Werle.

A memorial to the former castle stands near the district of Werle, on the east bank of the Warnow River. A large glacial erratic bearing the inscription “Burg Werle” has commemorated this historically significant site since 1856. The memorial adds a distinct, later point of reference to the castle’s history.

Routes to the castle and a rest area

There is a small gravel parking area for the walk to the former castle, just before the railway crossing in Werle, on the right-hand side. From there, you can walk to the castle. A mostly easy-to-ride gravel path to Burg Werle also begins immediately before the railway crossing near Kassow. The information gives different reference points: the parking area in Werle and the gravel path near Kassow. These access points should therefore be considered separately when planning your visit.

Before the bridge at Kassow, in the direction of Kambs, there is a canoe launch site on the left, with an idyllic rest area in nature beside it. If you would like to include paddling alongside the historic sights, this is another local place to visit. The launch site and rest area offer a different focus from the routes to the castle.

Cycle Route 4 and the canal near Kassow

Cycle Route 4, which is about 23 kilometres long, runs from Schwaan via Vorbeck, Kambs, Kassow, Neu Kassow and Werle, as well as Mistorf, Rukieten and Göldenitz, before returning to Schwaan. Kassow, Neu Kassow and Werle are listed as separate stops along the route. This places Kassow within a longer route, while the paths to the castle provide access to the local sights.

The crossing near Kassow has its own history: it crosses not the natural course of the Warnow, but a canal built by Belgian prisoners of war between 1915 and 1917. Burg Werle and the canal’s construction thus represent different historical themes. The distinction between the canal and the natural river helps visitors correctly identify the crossing on site.

More topics in the wider Rostock travel destination

The wider Rostock travel destination offers other nature and history experiences. At Wildpark-MV, visitors can explore the park on their own or join guided walks, including wolf, owl and evening walks. The Wolhynier Umsiedlermuseum in Linstow offers tours for groups and individuals. Using ethnographic objects, photographs and documents, the tours tell the story of the Volhynian Germans from the mid-19th century until their settlement in Mecklenburg after the Second World War. These experiences offer a different focus from Burg Werle: nature walks sit alongside history conveyed through collection items and documents.

Discover more destinations: Vorbeck, Bröbberow, Rukieten, Wiendorf, Benitz

Return to the wider travel overview: Amt Schwaan.