Switzerland of Holstein

(Local Name: Holsteinische Schweiz) Land: Schleswig-Holstein

Situation and characteristics

The "Switzerland of Holstein" is a region of hills and lakes - the remains of an Ice Age ground and terminal moraine - on the Wagrien peninsula in eastern Holstein, between Lübeck Bay and Kiel Bay. With its beautiful beech forests and its shimmering sheets of water, it is one of the most attractive stretches of country in Germany. At its east end is the Bungsberg (164 m/538ft), the highest point in the whole of Schleswig-Holstein. The area was given its name in the 19th century, with the idea of exploiting the current fashion for holidaying in Switzerland.