There are two distinct ways to plan a trip to Gutow: around the annual Ganschow Mare Parade or around seasonal landscape features such as lakes, moorland and fruit blossom. Gutow lies at the entrance to a varied terminal moraine landscape south of Güstrow, which is part of the Mecklenburg Lake District. The focus of your stay will depend mainly on your preferred theme and when it is available.

Mare Parade and Ganschow Stud

The Ganschow Mare Parades attract several thousand visitors each year and are a family event. More than 200 horses and their handlers present a combination of breeding, sport and show. The programme comprises around 20 displays. One of its special features is Germany’s largest four-in-hand quadrille, with 32 harnessed horses led by Manfred Ulrich.

The parade takes place annually over three weekends in July. On event days, visitors can tour the stud’s stables from 9 a.m. to noon. If you plan to visit, check the specific event dates with the organiser. At Ganschow Stud, visitors can also get to know the horses under saddle or in harness and see how they were raised.

Lakes, moorland and seasonal nature

Insel and Sumpf lakes border the municipality of Gutow. Gutow’s orchards are worth seeing when they are in blossom. The lakes and fruit blossom therefore offer different seasonal highlights from the Mare Parade, which takes place at the same time each July.

The Gutower Moor and Schöninsel nature reserve lies close to Gutow. Small information boards about the reserve’s special features are located at two entrances. The moorland is not accessible on foot, and Schöninsel may not be entered. Motorised watercraft are not permitted on the reserve’s waters. These restrictions should be taken into account when choosing nature-related activities: the boards provide information at the entrances, while the moorland and island are not accessible destinations.

At nearby Lake Inselsee, numerous geese and ducks, as well as kingfishers and black kites, can be observed during the breeding and migration seasons. On the west shore of Lake Inselsee, within the nature reserve, a flow-through moor with rare moorland plants has been preserved. Birdwatching is therefore tied to specific seasons; the moor is another distinctive feature of the surrounding landscape.

There are municipal bathing spots in Bülower Burg and Gutow within the nature reserve. Conditions may vary by season. These bathing spots are destinations in their own right; they do not affect the access restrictions on the moorland and Schöninsel.

Choose the right time to travel

The different activities have different seasonal windows: the parade returns every year over three weekends in July, the orchards are worth seeing when they are in blossom, and birdwatching is described for the breeding and migration seasons. If the Mare Parade is the main reason for your stay, check the specific dates. If you are more interested in blossom or birds, plan your trip around those seasonal highlights; conditions at the bathing spots may also vary by season.

Discover more destinations: Mühl Rosin, Lüssow, Sarmstorf, Gülzow-Prüzen, Groß Schwiesow, Mistorf, Plaaz, Lohmen.

View the main travel guide: Amt Güstrow-Land.