Kasseedorf: Pond Landscapes and Nature Observation

Two different connections with nature take centre stage on a trip to Kasseedorf: the Kasseedorf Ponds Nature Reserve on the eastern edge of town and the trekking rest stop at the Alte Försterei on the E1 long-distance hiking trail. The first focus is on the landscape and opportunities for observing nature; the second is an overnight option with a clearly limited duration for hikers and cyclists. This makes it possible to choose the kind of stay you want without treating the two offerings as equivalent.

Nature and Observation at the Kasseedorf Ponds

The Kasseedorf Ponds Nature Reserve lies on the eastern edge of Kasseedorf. It covers around 132 hectares and combines ponds and streams with small bogs, spring fens, dry grassland, open meadows and woodland. This compact area is therefore a mosaic of wet habitats, open landscapes and trees. The different landscape features shape the character of the nature reserve.

At the Oberteich, an observation platform offers the opportunity to look out for the emperor dragonfly and the kingfisher. In 2020, 60 breeding bird species were recorded in the nature reserve, including the common crane, western marsh harrier, goosander, eagle owl and wryneck. The information distinguishes between individual species that may be seen from the platform and the wider variety of breeding birds recorded in 2020.

A Trekking Stop on the E1 Long-Distance Hiking Trail

A trekking rest stop is located at the Alte Försterei, right on the E1 long-distance hiking trail. This privately offered accommodation is intended for hikers and cyclists; the maximum stay is one night. It includes a renovated bakehouse with a simple sleeping space in the attic, as well as a camping meadow. The bakehouse can be booked by prior arrangement. Make sure to arrange this in advance: local conditions apply to your stay. The sleeping space and camping meadow offer different options for this brief stopover.

More to Explore in the Wider Ostholstein Destination

The wider Ostholstein destination also offers cultural attractions. Every summer, the Eutin Festival stages a variety of opera and operetta performances as open-air events. The Ostholstein Museum in Eutin features changing exhibitions as well as a permanent exhibition about Eutin during its heyday around 1800. Kloster Cismar in the municipality of Grömitz also hosts changing exhibitions; concerts are held in the vaulted hall during the winter months. The seasons bring different highlights: the festival takes place in summer, while the monastery concerts are held during the winter months.

Those interested in archaeological history will find more to explore in the region: the Oldenburg Wall in Oldenburg in Holstein is one of Schleswig-Holstein’s most significant archaeological monuments. Using excavation finds and reconstructions, the Oldenburg Wall Museum presents the archaeologically and historically reconstructed story of the Oldenburg ring fort and the Slavs in Ostholstein.

The landscapes across the wider destination also vary. The Eutin Lake Circular Trail runs partly right along the shore of the Great Eutin Lake and partly along natural paths through the forest; along the way, views open up over Eutin, Eutin Castle and the palace gardens. On Fehmarn, a one-kilometre nature trail leads through the nature reserve at the Wallnau Waterbird Reserve. Hiking, cycling, wildlife watching and discovering nature are all possible on the Bungsberg. Along the coast, an almost seven-kilometre fine-sand beach connects Haffkrug and Scharbeutz.

Discover more destinations: Griebel, Neustadt / Holstein, Eutin, Kellenhusen, Dahme, Fehmarn, Sierksdorf, Bad Schwartau.

Go to the wider travel overview: Ostholstein.