Müritz

a lake in the German Democratic Republic; largest in the Mecklenburg lake system. Located at an elevation of 63 m, it has a surface area of 117 sq km and a maximum depth of 33 m.

The Müritz depression is of glacial origin. The western shore is elevated; the eastern, low-lying and marshy. Channels link the lake with neighboring lakes, including the Plauer See, and with the Havel River Basin. The city of Waren is located on the lake’s northern shore. There is fishing and navigation on the lake. In 1931 the Lake Müritz nature preserve was established on the eastern shore; it is a nesting place for the European, or common, crane (Grus grus) and a refuge for waterfowl and other birds.