The Schlei is great for water sports and boating, but did you know that it is also an excellent place to go hiking? Combining hiking with sightseeing is a great way to enhance your exploration of a place. During my two weeks there, I hiked almost every other day and have picked out the five best hikes in Schlei for you!
Table of Contents
Hike the Hüttener Berge south of the Schlei
The Hüttener Berge is Schleswig-Holstein’s smallest nature park. Glaciers formed the “mountains” here during the Ice Age, which created a terminal moraine landscape (basically, the leading edge of a glacier pushes a lot of dirt forward and makes a big mound). This hike takes place specifically in the Brekendorfer Forst, between Eckerförde and Owschlag. When I arrived, there were only two cars in the parking lot. When I left the forest, the parking was overflowing with cars. It was a holiday, but that showed me how popular the area is for outdoor activities. There forest also has well-signed mountain bike routes throughout.
Arrival
From Schleswig, I took the train one stop to Owschlag. Then I biked several kilometers to Brekendorf, about 20 minutes. There are bus connections from Schleswig and direct bus connections from Eckernförde (stop Brekendorf Forsthaus). I chose the train and biking because it is the quickest route from Schleswig with the most frequent connections. I locked up my bike in the parking lot located just before the Försterei.
Map and Markers
The trail is not well-marked, but along with the guidebook’s directions and map and parking lot map, I was able to find my way just fine. The X of the E1/E6 reliably guides much of the way. In the parking lot map pictured, I followed the two blue trails and the green one, connecting them with the road through the village Schoothorst for a total of 12.5 km. This hike should be done with the help of map or guidebook.
Sights
The scenery really impressed me along the way. It was quite beautiful! I didn‘t have the feeling that I was in flat Schleswig-Holstein or at the windy Baltic Sea, it was just beautiful forests and hills. I read that these were the “real 8000-er’s of Schleswig-Holstein,” a phrase comparable to “14-er’s” in America or “Mount Everests” of the region.
On the first loop, I got a view of the Rammsee and hiked up the Heidberg. The Rammsee has a lot of local legends intertwining it with the devil. The connecting road through Schoothorst has a handful of homes with farms and livestock behind them. The second loop has a steep hike up to Panorama Hotel Aschberg, which interestingly was the former Globetrotter Lodge, but is now a hotel and restaurant. Sadly the look-out tower was closed (although knowing that Globetrotter is one of Germany‘s largest (and my favorite) outdoor retailer made sense of the climbing holds on the tower’s exterior).
The return hike leaves the X trail. Despite limited signage, I found my way back through the tall, mixed forest. On the way, I learned about “Knickhecken,” which are “boundary hedges.” When farmers received a plot of land they were required to plant these boundary hedges to keep theirs separate from the neighbors’. This created a more forest-like appearance to the surrounding farmland. This hike was a wonderful, peaceful day through beautiful landscapes.
More great activities in the Schlei
Hike around the Geltinger Birk
Whenever I searched “Top things to do in Schlei” the Geltinger Birk was among them. This nature preserve is well-known for birdwatching; in the course of a year, more than 170 birds can be observed (which is more than half of the 307 bird species in Germany). During the spring migration, upwards of 50,000 small birds are counted per day.
Arrival
Getting to the Geltinger Birk from Schleswig is tough, but worth it. Bus 1605 from Kappeln to Flensburg runs hourly on weekdays and drops off at Gelting Nordstrasse, about 3.5 km from the parking lot in Geltinger Birk near the Mühle Charlotte (where the hikes begin). Other options are the bus stops Elsthol – Nieby or Falshöft – Pommerby, although these busses (1596, 1608) run less frequently.
Mühle Charlotte 
lagoon and Baltic Sea
Map and Markers
The Geltinger Birk has five well-marked trails. From Mühle Charlotte, I did the 14 km long Möwe trail, but there is also the 6km long Konik trail. From Nieby there is a 3km Eule option and from Falshöft there is the 10.5 km Hochlandrind and the 4.3 km Kröte. Of course, having a map is always a good idea, but I think it would be hard to get lost here as the trails and the markers are so well maintained.
The Seagull Trail
The Möwe trail starts out passing the Mühle Charlotte and a pair of very adorable vacation homes. The view to the left is the Baltic Sea, while a lagoon full of birds is on the right. Along the trail there are plenty of information stations about how the Geltinger Birk was formed and a few about the wildlife, like birds, geckos, and the wild horses. Yes, wild horses!
Sights
After passing the NABU hut (NABU is the nature conservation group of Germany), I hiked along the shore of the triangular shaped peninsula for many kilometers. Sea grasses, dunes, lagoons, birds, ghost trees. Blue water, turquoise water, green water, grey water – always changing with the time of day and clouds. Danish islands appear in the distance on the other side of the Baltic Sea. Getting mixed signals, my phone said “Wilkommen in Dänemark” and proceeded to inform me about international rates.
At one corner of this triangle is the Falshöft lighthouse. It is occasionally opened to visit, but I didn’t have any luck on my hike. From there, the hike cuts across the peninsula to return to the Mühle Charlotte. I passed through lots of farm and grassland, and saw some ponds with lots of birds.
Konik Wild Horses
I had heard about the wild horses even before I arrived at the Geltinger Birk. The originally Dutch horses have been in the Geltinger Birk since 2002. Together with the cows, they maintain the landscape.
I wasn‘t all that optimistic about getting to see them. Wouldn’t they be shy and avoiding humans? So when I did spot them, I wasn‘t even sure. Everything is fenced off to ensure you stay on the path and don‘t disturb the plants and animals. The objects of inquiry were far away and it was not possible to get any closer to get a better view. Where was C with his binoculars? At least the camera has a pretty decent zoom. With the double magnification, I was able to indeed verify that I was seeing wild horses! I was so excited!
The pictures are not as great as seeing them in person. Seeing them was incredible!
Return
Walking back to Gelting from the hike, I decided to detour to the castle at the edge of town. Sadly it is private, and going on the premises is not permitted. I was very tired after 20 + km of hiking, but the day was worth it. The Geltinger Birk is an excellent place to hike. But also busy! It was a not super weather day on a Friday in early May and the large parking lot was filling when I left. I can imagine that it is overflowing in the summer! As one of the best hikes in the Schlei region, it is very popular, so be prepared for that on your visit.
Find the best hikes in Germany
Visit the Vikings and Hike Haithabu on the Schlei
Haithabu was the most important Viking trading place during the 7th to 11th centuries because of its perfect placement along waterways which nearly connect the Baltic Sea to the North Sea, enabling and connecting trade from all directions. The village sits on the western shore of the Haddebyer Noor, one of two lakes south of the Schlei.
Arrival
The Haithabu Viking museum is about 4 kilometers from central Schleswig and about 2 kilometers from Schloss Gottorf and the train station. You can cycle or walk on the path from Schleswig around the Schlei to Haithabu or take the bus to Haddeby/Haithabu.
Map and Markers
When you arrive, there is an overview map at the church. I hiked around the Haddebyer Noor and Selker Noor in a figure 8 pattern beginning at the Haithabu Viking Museum. The trail is not marked, but it is fairly easy to find your way, since you’re mostly following the shores of the lakes. The X of the E1/E6 marks half of the hike.
Haithabu
Protected by the Haddebyer Noor and a half circle wall of mounded earth, Haithabu was only five kilometers from a river which lead to the North Sea, effectively shortening the trading journey around the peninsula by cutting through it. This gave it a huge advantage to the Vikings and traders. Around 1200 the city was abandoned for the more favorable and easily defendable location of Schleswig.
The museum has many interesting artifacts, most notable are several Runestones which were found in the region. There are also many artifacts from the hundreds of graves. Haithabu was never built on top of, which makes it a fantastic archaeological site (which has only been minimally excavated), and one of the most important in northern and Scandinavian history. This village was special because of its dominance of handcraft production and trading goods, which can be proven through the kinds of refuse found and objects from faraway places.
Village Reconstruction
Much of the museum is in Germany only, with Danisch and English only accompanying the main text for each room. The open-air part of the museum may be more interesting for the non-German visitor. A few hundred meters from the museum is the actual site of Haithabu (which is on the hike). The half-circle wall still surrounds the site; you can even walk along the top of it. Local species of cow and sheep, similar to those which roamed Haithabu, graze the grass to keep up the grounds.
Seven structures have been reconstructed based on the most intact finds from the digs. They include the homes of the comb-maker, cloth merchant, merchant, woodworker, fisher, a meeting house, and a lodge. Additionally, a large reconstructed dock reaches out into the lake. In the time of Haithabu, the vikings continually extended the dock because the accumulation of trash in the lake prohibited ships from reaching the dock.
The Hike
The hike is fabulous with amazing landscapes. There are a few stretches along the road, but otherwise a really top notch hike. The lakes are absolutely gorgeous. The hike continues along the shore of the Haddebyer Noor. While the X will guide you for the first half of the tour, there are some signs which guide hikers to the Noorbrücke (bridge). I had a fun time watching the Great Crested Grebes in the water near the bridge.
Along the way, there are two spots to see Runestone replicas of Sigfridstein and Erikstein. All Runestones found were dedicated to important fallen soldiers. You can visit the real ones in the museum. On the other side of the Noorbrücke, there are great views of the lower lake and a beautiful beach in the southeast corner. After this point, the hike is less interesting on the bike path through Selk. Leaving the village, there is the Königsgrab hill monument to fallen soldiers.
To complete the hike, you cross the Noorbrücke again, and head north towards the Schlei where you get great views of the city and church before reaching the Museum again. 13 kilometers never went by so quickly!
Learn History and Geology on the Windebyer Noor Hike
If you love the beach, then Eckernförde is for you! The beach is filled with the German coast’s iconic beach basket chairs, called Strandkörbe. The huge harbor is filled with many boats to marvel at, and the Altstadt is almost solely for pedestrians. At the Bonbonkocherei, you can watch them make classic sugar candies and take plenty of them home with you.
Arrival
Eckernförde is connected by train to Kiel and Flensburg and by bus to Schleswig and Kappeln.
Map and Markers
Along the trail there are a few maps. Finding the way is quite easy and the trail is marked by a “1.” You can star the hike at the corner of Flensburger Str. and Noor Str. Google Maps has nearly the whole trail marked as “Noorwanderweg.”
The Hike
For being so close to the city, the hike was much better than I expected. I saw several groups of older ladies with their Nordic walking poles. Many information signs line the way, including topics like flora, birds, geology, the Iron Age, the Osterwall of the Dannewerk wall fortifications, and the Moorleichen skeletons found here (housed in Schloss Gottorf). I especially loved the sign about what time birds begin singing in the morning. I learned that you could practically set your watch by them! A section of the trail goes through farm land, which is covered in blooming yellow rapeseed flowers in the spring.
Sights in Eckernförde
Strandkörbe litter the beach, a must on any northern German strand. A ton of docked ships sit in the harbor, even some pirate-like ones.
In the Altstadt, is a shop I was most excited for in Eckernförde: the Bonbonkocherei. Unlike in English, a bonbon in German is a hard candy (no chocolate here). At the Bonbonkocherei, you can watch the candies be made. While I was there, confectioners placed two giant masses of plastic-y hot sugar on one of the cooling tables, one red and one green. Two men kneaded a combination of other ingredients into the sugar like playdough. On display are the drum molds used to shape the candies.
The center of the store has a “salad bar” for all sorts of bonbons, chocolates, and gummies with flavors like licorice, melon, gooseberry, blueberry vanilla, cherry banana, rhubarb, strawberry lemon ad infinitum. I’m not a huge fan of such candies, but I just had to fill up a bag! The tiny capsules with diverse textures, shapes, and colors just suck you in to them. Next door is the chocolate version, which I could not resist either!
See a Megalithic Cave and Hike around Lake Idstedt
With several beautiful lakes and a landscape polka-dotted with ponds, Idstedt is great for a half-day hike and it’s not too far from Schleswig.
Arrival
You can arrive in Idstedt by bus from Schleswig at the stop Neuberender Weg – Idstedt. I biked from Schleswig to the Räuberhöhle in about 30 min (8 km).
Map and Markers
Three marked routes beginning in Idstedt traverse the lake in some form. In addition to hiking halfway around the lake, I hiked the European distance trail E1/E6 to the Raüberhöhle and back. The E1/E6 is sparsely, but adequately marked with an X and the three routes around the lake are well-marked when hiking clockwise.
Sights
The Räuberhöhle is one of the most well-preserved megalithic monuments in the area. This early Stone Age cave was used in the Middle Ages to store goods, hence the name “thieves’ cave.” The forests are pristine and worth wandering through.
These five hikes are the best way to explore the Schlei region. From lakes, to Stone Age caves, to Viking villages, there is something interesting to see and learn on all of these trails.
Did you hike one of the five best hikes in the Schlei? Let me know in the comments 🙂 For these routes, I used this Rother Wanderführer and the Kompass Ostseefjord Schlei Schleswig map.