Between the lakes of Mecklenburg, north of Berlin, a pocket of old beech forest has been left to grow for the better part of a century, and it is now one of the most unusual places in Germany. Serrahn is a part of the Müritz National Park, a few kilometres from Carpin, and its beeches were once part of a ducal hunting reserve that was protected from logging, so some trees are two hundred years old and more. The Serrahn woods are part of the UNESCO listing of Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe, a serial site that protects the finest remaining beech forests, from Ukraine and Slovakia to Germany, Spain and Italy.
The effect is like a green cathedral. The trunks rise smooth and grey as pillars, the canopy closes overhead, and the light on the floor is soft and green. Fallen trees are left where they lie, and the dead wood is full of fungi, beetles and woodpeckers, since the rule here is that the forest should look after itself. Black woodpeckers hammer on the trunks, and cranes call from the marshes and lakes nearby, with the occasional sea eagle gliding over the tree tops. In late April the woods are carpeted with white wood anemones and yellow lesser celandine, and in autumn the floor turns copper.
This is walking country, and the national park keeps motorised traffic to the public roads. A ride in the area follows quiet lanes through alleys of old trees, past small lakes, marshes and meadows, with pretty brick villages and thatched barns. The roads are flat and straight, with surface variations, and cobbled stretches in some villages. The best seasons are spring and early autumn, when the light is soft and the mosquitoes are fewer, and it is wise to carry a repellent in summer.
Carpin, three kilometres away, is a village with about a thousand people, so for fuel and a full meal plan on Neustrelitz, a baroque town laid out on a star-shaped plan around its market square, about nine kilometres off. Waren on the Müritz lake has a harbour and many fish restaurants, a short ride to the north. Try smoked fish, such as eel or whitefish, and a plate of Mecklenburg pork with red cabbage. Marked trails start from the car parks, and the park centres provide maps, guided walks and seasonal information.