When planning a trip to Kassow, the history of the former Werle Castle and the routes along the Warnow and the canal are the main points of interest. A glacial erratic near Werle commemorates the castle; a local footpath leads to the former Werle Castle. Tour 4 lists Kassow and Werle as stops on a longer circuit.
The history of Werle Castle
The former Werle Castle was built around the year 600 and served as the regional main castle of the princes of the Slavic Obotrite tribe. 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 date and Niklot’s death mark different periods in the castle’s history.
A memorial to the former castle is located near the Werle district, on the east bank of the Warnow. A large glacial erratic bearing the inscription “Burg Werle” has commemorated this historic site since 1856. The date refers to the memorial stone; the castle itself was built around the year 600. This makes it possible to distinguish chronologically between the site’s early origins, the event of 1160 and the later memorial.
Just before the railway crossing in Werle, there is a small sand car park on the right; from there, you can walk to the former castle. Immediately before the railway crossing near Kassow, a mostly well-maintained gravel path also leads to Werle Castle. These local directions indicate both a starting point for the walk and the surface of a path to the castle.
The Warnow, the canal and a rest area
Before the bridge near Kassow, in the direction of Kambs, there is a canoe launch site on the left and an idyllic rest area surrounded by nature. Here, two specific ways to take a break by the water come together: launching a canoe and stopping to rest. The overpass near Kassow crosses a canal, not the natural course of the Warnow. The canal was built by Belgian prisoners of war between 1915 and 1917. When navigating the area, the Warnow and the canal should therefore be distinguished; the overpass mentioned here crosses the canal.
Walk to the castle or continue on Tour 4
Tour 4 offers a different perspective for cyclists. The approximately 23-kilometre Tour 4 runs from Schwaan via Vorbeck, Kambs, Kassow, Neu Kassow and Werle and back to Schwaan; Mistorf, Rukieten and Göldenitz are also included in Tour 4. Kassow and Werle are thus part of a route that takes in several places, while the footpath described leads to the former Werle Castle.
If you want to walk to Werle Castle, you can take the local footpath in Werle; Tour 4 is a separate cycling circuit, with Kassow and Werle as stops.
Discover more destinations: Vorbeck, Rukieten, Benitz, Wiendorf, Bröbberow
Back to the main travel overview: Amt Schwaan.
