Holstein Switzerland
A hilly lake district in Schleswig-Holstein with more than 200 lakes. Take a five-lake boat tour, and see the lakeside castles of Plön and Eutin.
Holstein Switzerland lies in the eastern part of Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, between Kiel and Lübeck. It is a hilly lake district left behind by retreating glaciers. About 200 lakes are scattered among beech forests and farmland. Most of the area belongs to the Holstein Switzerland Nature Park. Its highest point, the Bungsberg, is only 168 m high. The name "Switzerland" is a romantic term that 19th-century visitors gave the area.
There are three main towns. In the west, Plön sits on the shore of the Großer Plöner See, where a white castle and the Parnass tower overlook the lakes. In the middle, Malente is a spa town and the starting point of the classic "Five Lakes Tour" boat trip. In the east, Eutin has a water castle, an English-style garden by the lake and an open-air summer opera festival.
The best season is May to September, when boat trips, rowing, lake swimming and cycling are all at their best. The Eutin summer opera festival runs in July and August. Autumn brings colorful forests, good for hiking. In winter, boat trips stop and sights have shorter opening hours.
Getting there is easy. The Kiel–Lübeck railway links Preetz, Plön, Malente and Eutin, with 10 to 20 minutes between stops. From Hamburg to Plön or Eutin takes about 1.5 hours. A stay of 1 to 2 nights in Plön or Malente is recommended. Spend one day on the Plön castle, the Großer Plöner See and Prinzeninsel (Prince's Island), and another day taking the Five Lakes boat trip to Eutin. With a car, you can add the Hessenstein tower and the Lütenburg hill castle to the north. The Schwentine River canoe route and the lake cycling paths, such as the roughly 40 km loop around the Großer Plöner See, are very popular. Boats and bikes can be rented in Plön or Malente.
Top sights
- Plön Castle – A white Renaissance castle on a hill in the lake district of Holstein Switzerland, overlooking the Großer Plöner See.
- Eutin Castle – A red-brick moated castle on the shore of Eutin's lakes, once the summer palace of the prince-bishops of Lübeck and the Dukes of Oldenburg…
- Five Lakes Tour, Malente – The classic boat route of Holstein Switzerland, passing through five lakes and narrow channels surrounded by forest.
- Großer Plöner See – The largest lake in Schleswig-Holstein, circled by boats that pass islands, churches and reed wetlands.
- Parnaß Tower, Plön – A steel observation tower in the wooded hills north of Plön, with views from the top over the Großer Plöner See, several other lakes and Pl…
- Prinzeninsel, Plön – A long, narrow peninsula reaching into the Großer Plöner See, once a retreat for Prussian princes, with a shaded path leading to a lakeside…
- Plön Old Town – A small old town squeezed between the two Plön lakes, where a market square, the neoclassical St. Nicholas Church and the lakeside pier are…
- Bosau & St. Peter's Church – A small lakeside village on the southern shore of the Großer Plöner See, where the 12th-century St. Peter's Church is one of the oldest chu…
- Ukleisee & Hunting Lodge – A deep, quiet little lake in the forest north of Eutin, with an 18th-century baroque hunting lodge on its shore and a peaceful trail around…
- Eutin Old Town & Market Square – The historic centre of Eutin, the 'Weimar of the North', with low red-brick houses around a market square, and St. Michael's Church beside…
- Eutin Palace Garden – An 18th-century English landscape garden stretching along the Großer Eutiner See, linking the lake shore, tree-lined avenues and an open-ai…
- Bungsberg & Elisabeth Tower – The highest point in Schleswig-Holstein at 168 metres, where an 1860s brick tower on the summit offers views over the lake district and the…
- Hessenstein Tower – A 19th-century brick observation tower beside Panker Estate, with views from the top over the Holstein hills and the Baltic coastline.
- Lütjenburg Motte-and-Bailey Castle – A timber motte-and-bailey castle reconstructed from archaeological finds of the 12th and 13th centuries, with a tower, moat and craft works…
- Preetz Priory – A Benedictine convent founded in the 13th century, whose Gothic brick church and convent courtyard are still used by a women's religious co…
Where to eat
- Fährhaus Niederkleveez – A family restaurant on the shore of Dieksee, beside the Five Lakes boat landing, serving fish from a neighboring fisher…
- Melkhus Gut Immenhof – A former cowshed on the Immenhof estate, the filming location of the classic Immenhof film series, now a restaurant wit…
- Prinzeninsel Restaurant & Café – A farmhouse restaurant at the tip of Prinzeninsel on Großer Plöner See, reachable only on foot, by bike or by boat, wit…
Itineraries
- North Sea to Baltic Coast Loop: 14-Day Self-Drive Itinerary – Embark on a road trip from Hamburg around the North Sea and Baltic Sea, covering Sylt, Viking heritage sites, and Rügen…
- Schleswig-Holstein Lakes & Viking Heritage: 7-Day Railway Itinerary – Take the train from Lübeck through the lake district and Kiel to Schleswig, exploring the Baltic Sea and Viking heritag…