Holstein Switzerland (German: Holsteinische Schweiz) is a hilly area with a patchwork of lakes and forest in Schleswig Holstein, Germany, reminiscent of Swiss landscape. Its highest point is the Bungsberg (168 metres above sea level). It is a designated nature park as well as an important tourist destination in Northern Germany situated between the cities of Kiel and Lübeck.
Holstein Switzerland lies in eastern Schleswig-Holstein. This picturesque region in the historical county of Wagria has no precise political or geographic boundaries. Most of the area falls within the districts of Ostholstein and Plön, roughly between the cities of Lübeck and Kiel and extends as far north as the Baltic coast. Its major towns include Bad Malente-Gremsmühlen, Lütjenburg, Oldenburg in Holstein, Preetz and the old Residenz seats of Eutin and Plön. The charm of this region is its ever-changing landscape of the Young Drift moraines of the Schleswig-Holstein Uplands which were formed during the last ice age. Small woods alternate rapidly with hedged, arable fields and the terrain is characterised by its many lakes nestling amongst low hills. Amongst the more well-known lakes are the Großer Plöner See, the Dieksee and the Kellersee. Rivers and water meadows abound, such as the Schwentine, which flows into Kiel Fjord or the Kossau, which discharges into the Großer Binnensee.
The rural landscape is still characterised by large, aristocratic estates and historic forms of farming that are mainly tied into large farm estates and their associated manor houses. These include Panker, Testorf, Rantzau and Hagen in Probsteierhagen. Several of the castles, such as Eutin and Plön may be visited and many of the estate farms are open to the public during the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival or other events. Salzau Estate houses the state cultural centre.
For walkers, the nature park trail (Naturparkweg) links the five nature parks in Schleswig-Holstein. There is an extensive network of cycle paths and quiet lanes and tracks for cyclists. Some of the large lakes are plied by pleasure boats and canoeing and other water pursuits are also possible. There are several seaside resorts close by on the Baltic coast.
[caption id="attachment_160810" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Rüdesheim on the Rhine around 1900[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Rüdesheim is a winemaking town in the Rhine Gorge and thereby part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It l...
