Parlow: Moorland, Cranes and Village History

Parlow is a village surrounded by forests, with fields all around. The observation tower, the moorland at the site of the former Mellnsee and the village architecture offer different starting points for a stay. You can focus on nature watching, the landscape and the history of the village buildings as separate themes.

Moorland and Nature Watching

The observation tower near Parlow offers a view over a moor at the site of the former Mellnsee. Brown mosses and peat mosses find a habitat there. The tower is located in the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve.

Cranes can be observed in the area around the village during migration and, with a little luck, during the breeding season as well. From the observation tower beside the silted-up shallow lake with valuable remnants of moorland—the now-invisible Mellnsee—visitors can also observe deer, meadow-nesting birds and numerous birds of prey. For cranes, the relevant periods are migration and, with a little luck, the breeding season; for the other groups of animals, the observation tower is the specific vantage point.

The Crane Information Centre in Parlow features a photo exhibition, a film and information materials. Alongside the opportunities to observe cranes in the surrounding area, it also offers a dedicated introduction to the subject of cranes.

Village History and Architecture

The granary in Parlow was built around 1860 and has largely retained its original appearance. The restored granary is the historic and cultural centrepiece of the village. The village church also dates from this period in the village’s history: it was consecrated in 1860. The date links the two buildings, but refers to the approximate construction period of the granary and the consecration year of the church.

Moritz von Wedel–Parlow had the village church built at his own expense. It is a single-nave, Romanesque Revival brick building with an apse and a west tower. Single-nave describes a church space with one main nave; “Romanesque Revival” refers to a design inspired by the Romanesque style. The apse is the architectural end of the chancel. The church can therefore be viewed both through its history and its architecture.

Trails with Historic Traces

The Mellin Circular Trail passes the old cemetery of the vanished village of Mellin and the Franz Neumann Memorial Stone. In addition to the experience of nature, the route also brings into focus the history of a village that no longer exists and another place of remembrance. This makes the trail especially interesting if you would like to notice historical traces while out walking.

Culture in Friedrichswalde

The wider travel destination of Friedrichswalde offers additional, distinct cultural themes. The Reformed Church in Friedrichswalde was built between 1776 and 1783. In 1890, its half-timbered structure was encased in brick; the single-nave brick building is particularly striking in its architecture. In Friedrichswalde, the local heritage association “Pfälzer Erbe” also keeps the tradition of wooden-shoe making alive and nurtures it. The focus there is therefore both on a historic church building with a later structural alteration and on the tradition of wooden-shoe making maintained in Friedrichswalde.

For the wider travel overview: Friedrichswalde.