Holstein Switzerland

 

 

 

I’ve never heard of the place Bad Malente but the last part of the path was promising. At first I was surprised by Lübeck. The parks are by water and a walk to the city centre in company of my parents and dog Lia was, despite a kilometre or two of walking, really nice and we made a few stops for beautiful pictures by the riverside and in front of the city doors. But I was more impressed by ice cream than by the historic buildings. It wasn’t just any ice cream. Lübeck is known for marzipan producers and they also sell marzipan ice cream. Yum!  You can enjoy it in some ice cream shops and in a coffee shop of one of the most famous producers of marzipan treats, Niederegger. Visiting it was something special because of the old furniture and a shop with lots of sweet treats that you can’t say no to.

 

The city is one of the most important German harbours at Baltic Sea and has quite a few good beaches at the outskirts. They are very attractive, white and sandy. But the sea only has about 18 degrees. It’s still nice to explore the coast with little resorts that are lining to the bigger harbour Kiel. This is where I was admiring big comfortable loungers that create a little house on the beach. It has a bed, a roof and room to put in everything you need on the beach. One of the most tourist places by the coast is Timendorf. It boasts with seven kilometre long beach with restaurants and stores. Those who love water sports also won’t get bored and you can also visit an aquarium. I was also impressed by the glass tunnel so you can see all those big fishes swimming around. Sierksdorf, a town nearby, can also take care of adrenalin lovers. They have a thematic park Hansa with one of the most dizzy train rides in Germany.

 

 

A big part of the coast is a little more calm, which was good for walking our dog. We also visited the island Fehmarn that also has attractive beaches and some high cliffs. The island city Burg is also worth a short trip and if you continue to the big harbour Puttgarden, you can get to Denmark really quickly. There’s only a 45 minute voyage to the Danish city Lolland, which also has a good road connection to Copenhagen.

 

We had a bit more work finding an accommodation because of our dog. But luckily HI hostels on the north of Germany are also welcoming pets. Hostel Bad Malente is located at the edge of Bad Malente in the middle of a lake landscape and big natural park. I was surprised by the location, as you almost can’t see the big buildings among the greenery. We were welcomed by a kind employee and were introduced to many possibilities for activities on nearby sports areas and hiking and biking trails. And he also made us a welcome dinner. Despite the late hour, they saved us some food. We were treated specially in the living room as dogs aren’t allowed in the dining room. But our dog Lia could sleep with us in the room. The room with new furniture and two bunk beds had a great location with an exit to the garden that reaches the coast of the lake. Lia really enjoyed that garden in the mornings when she got to scare a rabbit or two. As every rooms, ours also had its own bathroom on the hallway. Breakfast and other meals are served in a big dining room with a panoramic window that offers a view on the nearby lake. Every day we were welcomed by a smiling chef who took care of the diverse and fresh food. I must admit that the food in this hostel was the best I ever ate in a hostel. 

 

 

In the dining room I realized that the atmosphere gives us an impression that you’re among family and not among travellers. They can also take care for school and other groups as they offer many activities. There’s free internet in the hostel, a room with board games, a playroom for the youngest ones and vending machines if you want a snack or a drink. If you want a souvenir, you’ll find something for yourself. There are many interesting products. 

 

The name Holstein Switzerland comes from the town Bad Malente. In the 19th century it was very popular to vacation in Switzerland, but only the rich could afford that. This is why they opened a luxurious hotel Holsteinische Schweiz in 1885. It became really popular and later they also named a nearby train station after the hotel and later, the whole lake area. The train is still connecting Bad Malente with bigger German cities, and the nearby lake Kellersee offers a starting point for trips with ships that visit five lakes through water canals. One of the harbours is near the hostel. The voyage is great, but the ticket only enables one stop of the round trip that you can continue with another ship. The ships are sailing from April to October and the price for the round trip is 10 Euros. 

 

 

“We are proud of our football school” the receptionist told me while presenting all the attractions. It wasn’t a surprise, Holstein Switzerland has many times hosted German football team while they were preparing for the bigger matches. In the nearby cities Eurin and Plon we also admired two castles that host many events. They also host events in time of summer music festival. While I was staying there, sadly nothing special happened. I also couldn’t catch a cowboy show in Bad Segeberg. Karl May fans can enjoy in a play that happens a few times a week in a theatre. Cowboys and Indians can create a true Wild West and their show is visited by more than 300000 visitors per season.