Places of interest and leisure activities

Experience Ratzeburg in all its diversity

Island town Ratzeburg

The town of Ratzeburg in the district of Herzogtum Lauenburg is one of the few places in Germany that is completely surrounded by water. The old town lies in Lake Ratzeburg and can only be reached via three dams.

Worthwhile destinations

The Late Romanesque cathedral at the northern tip of the old town island is surrounded by water on three sides. The church donated by Henry the Lion Brick church is one of the most important sacred buildings in northern Germany.

In a half-timbered house right next to the Church of Saint Peter in the centre of the old town the sculptor spent Ernst Barlach part of his childhood. In his honour, the house today houses an Museumwhere numerous works by the world-famous artist can be seen.

Why not take an excursion into the beautiful surroundings per Large or small trolley or circle around on the Hydrobike the old town island. The adventurous can enjoy a old sleeping carriages, an oversized suitcase or spend the night high up in a tree in a birdhouse. 

Here you will find selected leisure activities

Ratzeburg diversity

Visit Ratzeburg Cathedral - one of the most impressive sights of the island city, start off on a time travel through the city's history or discover the Ratzeburg's cultural diversity with its three museums ...

Ratzeburg Cathedral

Ratzeburg Cathedral is certainly one of the most impressive sights of the island city.
Built by Henry the Lion in 1154, it tells a church story inside that extends far beyond 800 years. 

The cathedral is one of the oldest and most important Romanesque brick buildings in the north. The builders of the cathedral not only absorbed Romanesque influence from outside in the design of the cathedral, but also incorporated much of their own into the building. No stone in the cathedral has fallen prey to today's uniformity; here the bricks can speak, especially since every preserved brick does not resemble each other in shape or colour. 

We recommend a tour - on your own or guided!
The church office is your direct contact for this.

 


 

Cathedral Provost Gert-Axel Reuß
Domprobstei Office 
Domhof 35 • 23909 Ratzeburg 
Phone (0 45 41) 34 06
Fax. (045 41) 68 53
domkirchgemeinde@Ratzeburgerdom.de

Concerts & Church Services

A concert in the cathedral is also an experience! You can also experience one or the other service with a performance by the great Ratzeburg Cathedral Choir.

 


 

Ratzeburg Cathedral Music
Christian Skobowsky
Domhof 14  • 23909 Ratzeburg
Phone (0 45 41) 80 36 48
Fax (0 45 41) 85 75 31
Organist@Ratzeburgerdom.de

You can experience a journey through the history of Ratzeburg during one of the interesting city tours.
History is hidden and waiting to be discovered everywhere: in the alleys, under the stones or behind old facades. Contact us or the city of Ratzeburg directly.

Over 800 years of town history and not just on the island: the first Christian settlement was established on St. Georgsberg in the 10th century, co-founded by Abbot Ansverus, who was canonized for his struggle to establish the Ratzeburg diocese and is still revered today . This Abbot Ansverus and Henry the Lion were largely responsible for the founding of the Ratzeburg Diocese and the construction of the Ratzeburg Cathedral.

Therefore, lion tracks invite you to a special tour for individualists through the island city - a city map will help you to discover the various highlights on your own.

 


 

Ask us for the city maps!

Tourist information for the city of Ratzeburg
Phone: 04541 - 8000886
info@ratzeburg.de
www.ratzeburg-tourismus.de

You can enjoy cultural Ratzeburg diversity in the three museums on the city island:


Kreismuseum Herzogtum Lauenburg
Domhof 12
23909 Ratzeburg
Phone: 04541 - 8607-0
www.kmrz.de
kreismuseum-rz@t-online.de



Paul Weber Museum
Domhof 5, 23909 Ratzeburg
Phone: 04541 - 860720
www.weber-museum.de
kreismuseum-rz@t-online.de


 

Ernst Barlach Museum Ratzeburg
Barlachplatz 3
23909 Ratzeburg
Phone: 04541 - 3789
www.ernst-barlach.de
kontakt@ernst-barlach.de

Wasser und Wasserspass

The Ratzeburger See inspires and gives direct insights into the beautiful lake and forest landscape….

A boat trip on Lake Ratzeburg inspires and gives direct insights into the beautiful lake and forest landscape.
Ratzeburg's unique island location also offers unique insights into and views of the city island with the impressive cathedral and the striking manor house.
Piers around the lake offer opportunities to interrupt the boat tour and continue exploring the beautiful landscape on foot or by bike.


 

Additional Information: 

Ratzeburger Schifffahrt 
Schlosswiese 
23909 Ratzeburg 
Phone: 04541 - 7900
www.schiffahrt-ratzeburg.de
info@schiffahrt-ratzeburg.de

In the north of the Duchy flows the "Amazon of the North", the Wakenitz, which got its nickname from the jungle-like riparian vegetation with extensive alder swamp forests.
Those who board the ship in Ratzeburg and switch to the Wakenitz shipping company on the northern shore of Lake Ratzeburg can disembark again in the center of Lübeck.
With the small, comfortable ships of the Wakenitz-Schifffahrt you can experience this jewel of the Northern Duchy up close. 

The Wakenitz owes its nickname "Amazon of the North" to its location as a natural border between Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
In this way, it was able to largely preserve its original character due to its remote location as an inner-German border until 1989. Their course, their shallows and their bank conditions have always made any economic use unfavorable and thus favorable for nature. 

Additional Information: 

Wakenitz Schiffahrt Quandt
Wakenitzufer 1a
23564 Lübeck
Phone: 0451 - 793885
Fax. 0451-7074456
www.wakenitz-schiffahrt-Quandt.de
info@wakenitzfahrt.de

Water sports

Ratzeburg offers a variety of opportunities for water sports.

The sleek yellow boats of the rowers are part of the image of the island town of Ratzeburg in the summer months! 

Karl Adam (1912 – 1976) from Ratzeburg, teacher at the Lauenburgische Gelehrtenschule after the Second World War, revolutionized rowing with his own theoretical investigations and thus established completely new and, above all, groundbreaking sports and training methods. He created the concept of the "responsible athlete"! Adam laid the foundation for a unique success story and thus made Ratzeburg the "Mecca of rowing". From 1959 to 1968 the boats he trained won numerous titles at European and World Championships and in 1960 and 1968 in Rome and Mexico City the Olympic gold medal! Karl Adam was a co-founder of the Ratzeburg Rowing Club and the Ratzeburg Rowing Academy, today the federal training center for rowing. 

But now everyone can experience water fun in Ratzeburg: pedal boats, canoes, water bikes, electric boats and sailing boats are available for hire. Stand-up paddlers also get their money's worth: Lake Ratzeburg offers wonderful opportunities for this sport. 

Talk to us: there are different rental stations! 

cycling sport

Explore Ratzeburg by bike

... this is how the area around Ratzeburg presents itself when you explore it by bike. We recommend that you explore the beautiful surroundings with their magnificent avenues, romantic villages, hedged landscapes and the impressive views of the most diverse water landscapes.

Choose a thematic day tour from many suggestions (available at the reception in our hotel) or let our boss, Torsten Karwasz - himself a passionate cyclist - recommend a tour. Tailor-made, he takes you to the most beautiful places and the tastiest cafés!

If you are planning a group bike ride, we recommend a guided bike tour with a knowledgeable specialist. With the appropriate background knowledge, they enable you to gain interesting insights into nature and culture. Bike tours on the trail of the former inner-German border, which has now given way to a "Green Belt" with unique biotopes, are particularly interesting. Even 30 years after the opening of the border, traces of what used to be the deadly border of the Iron Curtain can still be found near Ratzeburg.

Talk to us, we will be happy to put you in touch with individual tours that have been carefully designed according to your wishes.

Yoga-Sport

Relaxing yoga and pilates classes in our house... 

Gesa Karwasz is a yoga teacher (DTB) and certified trainer in the sports club.
You have the opportunity to attend relaxing or constructive yoga and Pilates classes in our house.

Do you have any questions about our leisure time suggestions?

Then give us a call or send us an email.
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