Discover Schleswig-Holstein: Coastlines, Nature and Culture

Coastal landscapes and the Wadden Sea

The Wadden Sea on the North Sea coast is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest ecosystems in the world. It is considered Europe’s last extensive wilderness area and is globally important as a stopover for migratory birds. If you are interested in this landscape, you can include a guided mudflat walk in your travel plans: You walk on the seabed without diving equipment. Certified National Park guides ensure professional standards and safety. The Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park Authority also offers birdwatching excursions and cycling tours with a ranger.

When choosing a destination, it is worth first considering the landscape: Would you like to experience sandy beaches, grassy beaches, pebble beaches, steep coastal cliffs or the Wadden Sea? Fehmarn is Schleswig-Holstein’s only Baltic Sea island. Families and water sports enthusiasts can enjoy a relaxing holiday there. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, your preferred coastal landscape can help guide your search.

Lakes, rivers and routes

Water also shapes the landscape away from the coast. In the Holstein Switzerland Nature Park, around 200 small and large lakes can be explored on foot or by bicycle. Whether you prefer walking or cycling provides a practical starting point for planning your own day trips.

A longer cycling trip follows the 165-kilometre Eider-Treene-Sorge Cycle Route through Schleswig-Holstein’s largest lowland area. Rivers, meadows, forests, moors and canals shape this landscape. The cycle route is fully signposted; information boards along the way provide details about the cycling region, the river landscape, and its flora and fauna. The route’s length is a useful guide when considering whether to include one section or the entire cycle route in your trip.

History between Lübeck and Schleswig

In Lübeck, the silhouette of the medieval city centre already tells the story of the Hanseatic city: its seven towers and well-preserved pre-industrial buildings were important reasons for its recognition as a World Heritage Site in 1987. If you are interested in historic cityscapes, you will find a different focus here than in the Viking-era history around Schleswig.

Haithabu was an important Viking Age maritime trading centre at a historic bottleneck between the Baltic Sea inlet of the Schlei and the North Sea lowlands near Schleswig. The Danewerk, also located at this bottleneck, was a defensive border structure. Since July 2018, Haithabu and the Danewerk have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Haithabu Viking Museum is one of Germany’s most important archaeological museums. At the Archaeological State Museum in Gottorf Castle, finds range from Neanderthals to the Middle Ages and include the Iron Age Nydam Boat and famous bog bodies. Gottorf Castle is now home to two museums displaying evidence of 120,000 years of human history.

Regional traditions and local flavours

A seasonal event on the west coast is the traditional Biike burning, held in February. If you would like to combine your trip with a regional tradition like this, timing is an important part of your planning. Farm shops are a good way to discover local produce: most offer a taste as a sample or small drink. Their range includes seasonal fruit and vegetables, cheese, home-baked bread, juices, jams and homemade liqueurs.

You can reach Schleswig-Holstein by car or train; if travelling by air, Hamburg Airport is one option. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can first ask yourself what you want to focus on during your stay: coastal landscapes and the Wadden Sea, lakes and cycle routes, history or regional traditions. This helps narrow your search to the part of the state that suits your travel plans.

More destinations in the state: Föhr, Flensburg, Amrum, Sylt, Dithmarschen, North Frisia, Segeberg, Ostholstein, Plön, Schleswig-Flensburg, Duchy of Lauenburg, Pinneberg, Stormarn, Rendsburg-Eckernförde, Kiel, Steinburg, Neumünster, Lübeck.

Back to the overview of destinations: Germany.