The Tollensesee is the large lake that dominates the landscape north of Burg Stargard, stretching several kilometres toward Neubrandenburg. A cycling and walking path runs around much of the shoreline, passing through stands of beech forest and connecting scattered fishing villages. In summer the water is calm enough for swimming, and small beaches appear at several points along the banks.
The river Tollense that feeds the lake gained considerable archaeological fame when Bronze Age remains were discovered in its bed — the site of a prehistoric mass battle involving thousands of warriors, one of the largest such events ever discovered in northern Europe. The fighting took place around 1250 BC, which puts it well before anything written in Greek or Roman sources about the region. The finds are mostly housed in the Neubrandenburg museum, but the riverside footpath passes close to the excavation area.