Klaus R.
Lake Malchin is close by, with a pleasant swimming spot only a few hundred meters away. There’s a restaurant there too, and you can hike or cycle around the lake, rent bikes on-site, or go canoeing. The hostel also offers extras like bowling, nature walks, campfires and a sauna, though they’re quite expensive. There’s table tennis and other things to do in the courtyard. The internet was a bright spot for young people: Telekom had LTE reception up to 50 Mbps, which is great for a small German village. Wi-Fi costs €1 an hour or €3 for a day. Meals on full board were mediocre, like plain cafeteria food without much finesse, spice or extras. Breakfast and dinner were cold buffets, with a hot meal at lunchtime. Vegetarians and people with other dietary requirements were catered for, and you could book packed lunches for excursions. Cake and fruit cost extra. The two dining rooms were big enough for the whole class to eat together. Staff were friendly. The historic facade looked well kept, and the toilets were clean, but the shared bathroom felt too small for the number of students. Windows beside the men's toilets had no privacy screens, so people could see in. Some rooms do have their own bathrooms. My room was small, with wood paneling and just one outlet. The bunk beds weren't very comfortable, and the posts on mine leaned to one side. There were only three storage units for four people, so two students had to share the already cramped space. The low window sills were a serious concern: they came only to the students' knees, and someone who stumbled could fall out, which could be fatal from the top floor. At reception you can get ice cream, magazines and snacks at regular prices, along with information about excursions. But the reception often wasn't open during its stated hours, so we regularly found a locked door. Drink and candy vending machines had soft drinks, Snickers, Mars, M&Ms and more. The disco's old speakers had poor sound quality. The hostel is in the small village of Dahmen in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, at Dorfstraße 14. It's a nice place, but far from perfect. I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars.
