Baltic Coast of Schleswig-Holstein Attractions

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.