Plön: Baltic Coast, Lakes and Cycling Tours
Accommodation in Plön
The Baltic coast, lakes and gently rolling landscape of Holstein Switzerland define the district of Plön. It lies between the Baltic Sea and Holstein Switzerland and has about 50 kilometres of Baltic coastline. Travellers planning their stay around swimming and water sports will find different highlights here than those who prefer to focus on lakes, cycling routes or nature experiences.
Explore the coast and lakes
There are places to swim along the district’s Baltic coast, from Mönkeberg to Sehlendorfer Strand. A special bathing spot is on Prinzeninsel: its sandy beach is about 100 metres wide and slopes gently into the water. You can reach the bathing spot only on foot or by bicycle. Keep this access restriction in mind when planning your day.
There are various activities on the water, too: sailing, surfing, diving, boat excursions, offshore sailing trips, cutter trips and surf fishing are all possible along the Baltic coast. Inland, the district includes around 80 lakes. Großer Plöner See covers 29 km², and Selenter See 22 km². You can explore the Schwentine waterway by canoe in the district of Plön; the lakes are also used by sailing boats and excursion boats. This gives you a choice of different ways to enjoy the water, both on the coast and on the lakes.
Cycling and nature
For active days, the district of Plön offers a signposted network of cycling routes covering 850 km, as well as developed Nordic walking routes. The gently rolling landscape is well suited to cycling and hiking tours. One specific option is the two-day “Baltic Coast – Holstein Switzerland” cycling tour: it starts in Kiel and runs via Plön and Lütjenburg to the Baltic coast. The tour is particularly suitable for e-bikes. Along the way, you can take in the coast, towns and landscape of Holstein Switzerland as stops on a longer cycling tour.
Large parts of the district lie within Holstein Switzerland Nature Park. The nature park covers 75,000 hectares and offers opportunities to experience nature and spot rare animals. If you are interested in wildlife watching, you could also consider the observation of sea eagles over Großer Plöner See, described as impressive. The gently rolling landscape complements the nature park as a setting for walking and cycling tours.
Culture in Plön and the surrounding area
Plön Castle stands above the lake of the same name in Holstein Switzerland and is the district’s landmark. If you would like to explore Plön’s old town and the castle grounds in more detail, you can choose from audio guide tours that are free to use on a smartphone. There are two tours, each lasting about 20 minutes. Groups can book individual combined guided tours of the Plön Castle grounds. They combine visits to Prinzenhaus, the castle park and the castle grounds.
Another historic place in the district is Gut Panker. The estate is over 500 years old and is now open to visitors; in the past, the Rantzau family managed the estate grounds. Lütjenburg is also in the district of Plön and is known for its old town centre. So, alongside coastal and nature experiences, visitors can choose among different cultural interests, including castle history, a historic estate and an old town centre.
More pages about places and areas in the district of Plön: Plön, Lütjenburg, Martensrade, Probstei, Großer Plöner See, Preetz-Land, Selent-Schlesen, Bokhorst-Wankendorf, Fargau-Pratjau, Wahlstorf, Högsdorf, Stakendorf, Fiefbergen, Schwentinental, Bönebüttel, Ruhwinkel, Rastorf, Barmissen, Kletkamp, Nettelsee, Helmstorf, Löptin, Nehmten, Schrevenborn, Preetz, Passade, Höhndorf, Pohnsdorf, Kühren, Schlesen, Giekau, Probsteierhagen and Brodersdorf.
