Birdwatchers and boaters will both benefit from a trip to one of Europe's largest national parks in Germany.

Muritz contains the country's biggest area of forest and its most sizeable lake too in the stunning Muritzsee.

The area is best seen in summer or autumn. Those who opt for the former will enjoy blooming water lilies covering most of the canals and lakes and easy access to the park's excellent cycle tracks and canoe trips.

Fans of feathered animals will also be in for a treat with sea eagles and ospreys circling the air and cranes nesting in the damp alder and birch marshes.

Meanwhile autumn is the perfect time to explore the rich red colours of the Serrahn forest with the low sun casting glittering light over the numerous lakes.

The park lies in the Mecklenburg Lower Pomerania state in the north-east of Germany.