Ostholstein between beach, nature and culture
Accommodation in Ostholstein
Almost seven kilometres of fine sandy beach connect Haffkrug and Scharbeutz. There are also nature experiences, museums and summer open-air performances. Ostholstein can therefore be explored through a wide range of interests. When choosing where to stay, you can consider whether beach days, nature watching or culture should be the main focus—and take a closer look at the places that interest you most.
Beach and waterside experiences
The long beach between Haffkrug and Scharbeutz offers a clear point of reference when choosing a place for swimming and beach days. In Haffkrug, a fishing experience trail also runs along the promenade. Information boards and interactive features explain the history of fishing and the fish species of the Baltic Sea. You can explore the trail independently; at eight stations, QR codes provide access to stories and accounts from an audio guide. Anyone interested in coastal life and fishing will find a distinct themed perspective on the walk here.
In Scharbeutz, the Ostsee Therme combines a diverse aquatic world and large slides with a sauna area featuring eleven different saunas. The spa has direct access to the beach. Another water-based activity is offered by the water-ski cableway in Süsel, where beginner courses are held daily. These activities are quite different—from slides and saunas to getting started in water skiing.
Discover nature and enjoy the outdoors
The Natureum Steinwarder nature experience park in Heiligenhafen is for children and adults who want to experience nature with all their senses. On Fehmarn, a one-kilometre nature trail in the Wallnau Waterbird Reserve leads through the nature conservation area. If you would like to combine nature watching with exercise, you could also consider Bungsberg, where you can hike, cycle, watch wildlife and explore nature. The Bungsberg telecommunications tower has an observation platform 42 metres above the mast.
At Lake Großer Eutiner See, the circular trail offers a different perspective on the landscape. It runs partly right along the shore and partly along natural paths through the forest. Along the way, there are views of Eutin, Eutin Castle and the castle gardens. The mix of lakeside sections and forest paths may be a useful consideration if you would rather spend your time on a circular walk than at a single excursion destination.
Museums, history and performances
Culture enthusiasts will find several different points of interest in Eutin. Every summer, the Eutin Festival stages changing opera and operetta performances as open-air events. The Ostholstein Museum presents changing exhibitions and a permanent exhibition about Eutin at the height of its prosperity around 1800. Eutin Castle Museum is right by Lake Großer Eutiner See and is surrounded by a landscaped garden. Eutin can therefore be considered a destination for performances, exhibitions and a walk around the lake when planning your vacation.
In the municipality of Grömitz, Cismar Monastery presents changing exhibitions and hosts concerts in its vaulted hall during the winter half of the year. The Lensahn Museum Farm explores historic rural work and life through more than 4,600 historical exhibits. In Oldenburg in Holstein, the Oldenburger Wall is one of Schleswig-Holstein’s most significant archaeological monuments. The Oldenburg Wall Museum presents excavation finds and reconstructions relating to the archaeologically and historically reconstructible history of the ring rampart and the Slavs in Ostholstein. Each of these destinations has its own focus: rural life, archaeological history, or changing exhibitions and concerts.
Whether you choose your holiday apartment based on your interest in beaches, nature destinations or cultural sites, the attractions mentioned are spread across different places and provide concrete starting points for your search. A fishing experience trail, a nature trail, a museum or a performance each represents a different vacation theme.
More places to discover
Wangels, Bosau, Ahrensbök, Dahme, Großenbrode, Heiligenhafen, Kasseedorf, Riepsdorf, Sierksdorf, Weißenhäuser Strand, Malente, Stockelsdorf, Bad Schwartau, Altenkrempe, Eutin, Neukirchen, Neustadt / Holstein, Grömitz, Kellenhusen, Timmendorfer Strand, Schashagen, Göhl, Grube, Fehmarn, Scharbeutz, Schönwalde Am Bungsberg, Ratekau, Heringsdorf, Oldenburg In Holstein, Gremersdorf and Süsel.
For the broader travel overview: Schleswig-Holstein.
