Lake Tollensesee is a long, narrow glacial lake stretching south from the edge of Neubrandenburg for about 10 kilometres. Its shores are mostly undeveloped — wooded banks, small beaches, and a cycling and walking path that runs most of the way around. A number of public bathing spots on the western shore are popular in summer, and the lake is clean enough to swim in.
Boat rental is available at the northern end. The cycling circuit of the lake (around 25 km in total) is one of the better half-day rides in the Mecklenburg lake district, passing through quiet farmland and small lakeside villages. The lake was the site of one of the Bronze Age's most remarkable finds: in the early 1990s, archaeologists excavating the northern shore uncovered evidence of a major battle from around 1250 BCE — thousands of bones, bronze weapons, and equipment from what appears to have been a large-scale conflict between organised forces. The Tollensetal battle site is one of the best-documented Bronze Age battles in Europe.