Baltic Coast of Schleswig-Holstein Attractions
Länder: Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania
The Baltic coastline of Germany extends for some 720km/450mi from Flensburg to the island of Usedom. Bights and fjord-like inlets penetrate far inland - the Flensburger Förde, the Schlei, Eckernförde Bay, the Kieler Förde, Lübeck Bay, Wismar Bay, the Saaler Bodden, the Greifswalder Bodden, the Stettiner Haff. The islands of Fehmarn, Rügen and Usedom are linked with the mainland by bridges.
Ecology
The Baltic is linked with the North Sea only by the Skagerrak and Kattegat, so there is little exchange of waters between the two seas. The fresh water flowing into the Baltic from the mainland gives it a considerably lower salt content than other seas. The inflow of polluted river water, however, has led to a considerable concentration of harmful substances in the Baltic and endangered its ecological system. Efforts have been made to halt this development, but so far it has not been possible to achieve a consensus between the states bordering the Baltic on a program of action.
Landscape
In contrast to the treeless fen landscapes of the North Sea coast, much of the Baltic coast is attractively wooded (mostly beech forests). Characteristic features of the eastern part of the coast are the shallow bodden - depressions carved out by glaciers during the Ice Age which over the millennia have been drowned by the gradual rise in sea level.
The Baltic has scarcely any tides.
The Baltic coastline of Germany extends for some 720km/450mi from Flensburg to the island of Usedom. Bights and fjord-like inlets penetrate far inland - the Flensburger Förde, the Schlei, Eckernförde Bay, the Kieler Förde, Lübeck Bay, Wismar Bay, the Saaler Bodden, the Greifswalder Bodden, the Stettiner Haff. The islands of Fehmarn, Rügen and Usedom are linked with the mainland by bridges.
Ecology
The Baltic is linked with the North Sea only by the Skagerrak and Kattegat, so there is little exchange of waters between the two seas. The fresh water flowing into the Baltic from the mainland gives it a considerably lower salt content than other seas. The inflow of polluted river water, however, has led to a considerable concentration of harmful substances in the Baltic and endangered its ecological system. Efforts have been made to halt this development, but so far it has not been possible to achieve a consensus between the states bordering the Baltic on a program of action.
Landscape
In contrast to the treeless fen landscapes of the North Sea coast, much of the Baltic coast is attractively wooded (mostly beech forests). Characteristic features of the eastern part of the coast are the shallow bodden - depressions carved out by glaciers during the Ice Age which over the millennia have been drowned by the gradual rise in sea level.
The Baltic has scarcely any tides.
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Eckernforde Bay, Germany
In Eckernförde Bay on the Baltic Coast are the Damp 2000 holiday center, Eckernförde itself and Schwedeneck with its sandy beaches at Dänisch Nienhof and Surendorf.
Fehmarn
On the island of Fehmarn in the Baltic Sea there is a beautiful stretch of beach at Burg-Südstrand. On the west coast, in the Wallnau bird sanctuary, there are a number of natural beaches. On the mainland opposite Fehmarn lies the Heiligenhafen holiday center, with beaches on the Steinwarder peninsula.
Hohwacht, Germany
Below the steep wooded slopes at Hohwacht, on the Baltic Coast, are attractive bathing beaches.
Kieler Förde
In the Kieler Förde on the Baltic Coast are Schilksee with its Olympiahafen and the neighboring little resort of Strande, the sailing center of Maria Wendtorf, Laboe and Heikendorf.
Lübeck Bay
In Lübeck Bay on the Baltic Coast are several resorts - Dahme, Kellenhusen, Grömitz, Rettin and Pelzerhaken (within the territory of Neustadt in Holstein), Sierksdorf (with the Hansaland leisure park), Haffkrug-Scharbeutz, Timmendorfer Strand and the fashionable resort of Travemünde.
