Discover Ostholstein

Beach and maritime attractions

The beach between Haffkrug and Scharbeutz is a prominent point of reference for anyone looking to spend time by the sea during their stay. In Haffkrug, the Fishing Experience Trail along the promenade tells the story of the area’s former fishing industry and of fish species found in the Baltic Sea. Information boards and interactive features present these topics; at eight stations, QR codes also provide access to stories and narratives from an audio guide. The trail can be explored independently.

Niendorf, a district of the municipality of Timmendorfer Strand, also has a maritime character: its fishing and yacht harbor attracts many visitors. Anyone interested in harbor life will find a different point of interest here than at the beach or on the Fishing Experience Trail. Ostsee Therme Scharbeutz combines a varied aquatic world and large waterslides with a sauna area featuring 11 different saunas; it offers direct access to the beach.

Nature and outdoor activities

On Fehmarn, a one-kilometer nature trail leads through the Wallnau Waterbird Reserve. At Bungsberg, visitors can hike, cycle, observe wildlife and explore nature. A viewing platform is located there on the telecommunications tower, 42 meters above the mast. These different ways to experience nature range from a route through a protected area to activities in the landscape around Bungsberg.

The Eutin Lake Circular Trail offers another way to experience the surroundings on foot: along Lake Großer Eutiner See, it runs partly right by the shore and partly along natural trails through the forest. Along the way, there are views of Eutin, Eutin Castle and the castle gardens. The alternation between shore sections and forest paths gives the circular trail its distinctive character.

For watersports enthusiasts, the water-ski cableway in Süsel offers beginner courses every day. Anyone wishing to experience nature with all their senses will find activities for children and adults at the Natureum Steinwarder Nature Experience Park in Heiligenhafen. The Meereszentrum Fehmarn showcases more than 1,000 marine animals in over 40 display aquariums, which together hold 700,000 liters of seawater.

Culture and history

In Eutin, a variety of cultural attractions complement one another. The Ostholstein Museum presents changing exhibitions and a permanent exhibition about Eutin during its heyday around 1800. Every summer, the Eutin Festival stages a range of opera and operetta performances outdoors. Eutin Castle Museum is located right on Lake Großer Eutiner See and is surrounded by a landscaped garden.

Near Oldenburg in Holstein, the focus is on archaeological history. Oldenburger Wall is one of Schleswig-Holstein’s most significant archaeological monuments. The Oldenburger Wall Museum presents excavated finds and reconstructions relating to the archaeologically and historically reconstructable history of Oldenburg’s ring fortification and the Slavs in Ostholstein. The visit is therefore suited to anyone interested in early settlement history and archaeological finds.

Cismar Monastery in the municipality of Grömitz hosts changing exhibitions and holds concerts in its vaulted hall during the winter season. The Lensahn Museum Farm offers insight into former rural life and work through more than 4,600 historical exhibits. Each cultural venue has its own focus—from exhibitions and music to archaeological history and rural everyday life.

For information about individual towns, see the pages for 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, Süsel and Wangels.