Preetz: Monastery, Town Church and Clog-Making Tradition

Preetz combines a distinctive history of church architecture with a craft tradition maintained over generations. Three local themes are particularly useful when choosing a hotel: Preetz Noble Convent, the town church and Preetz wooden clogs. They raise different questions: How did a medieval complex develop over time, what historic furnishings does a church preserve, and how does a craft remain present across generations? The destination of Plön can also be considered as a separate, broader setting for landscapes and activities.

Monastery Complex and Town Church

Preetz Noble Convent is a preserved medieval monastery complex. It includes a Gothic brick church, the historic gatehouse dating from 1737 and former convent buildings. Its furnishings include a large Gothic choir stall, an old nativity scene and a depiction of the Mass of St Gregory. The architectural features and furnishings offer different perspectives on the complex: the church and gatehouse represent its architectural form, while the choir stall, nativity scene and Mass of St Gregory represent its historic furnishings.

The town church offers a second perspective. Its late Romanesque stone choir dates from around 1200. Historic furnishings include a Romanesque baptismal font from the 13th century, Renaissance chandeliers, bronze crowns from the 17th century and a suspended baptismal angel from the 18th century. Alongside the choir, the focus here is especially on furnishings that can be dated: their origins range from the 13th to the 18th century.

A Craft Tradition Across Generations

Preetz also preserves a long-standing clog-making tradition. Lorenz Hamann’s family has practised the craft for five generations; the shoes made are known as Preetz wooden clogs. This craft theme complements the history of church architecture and furnishings: the focus here is on skills practised over generations and a name associated with Preetz. Those looking to understand the town through more than its historic buildings will find another tangible part of its cultural profile here.

Landscape and Activities in the Plön Destination

For a broader regional context, it is worth looking at Plön. Plön District lies between the Baltic Sea and the Holstein Switzerland region and has about 50 kilometres of Baltic Sea coastline. It includes around 80 lakes, among them Lake Großer Plöner See, covering 29 km², and Lake Selenter See, covering 22 km². Large parts of the district belong to Holstein Switzerland Nature Park. It covers 75,000 hectares and offers opportunities to experience nature as well as see rare animals.

Along the district’s Baltic coast, there are opportunities for swimming from Mönkeberg to Sehlendorfer Strand. Activities available there include sailing, surfing, diving, boat trips, offshore sailing trips, fishing boat trips and surf fishing. Inland waters offer other opportunities: the Schwentine waterway can be explored by canoe in Plön District; the lakes can also be travelled by sailboat or excursion boat. For specific boat trips or fishing boat trips, it is worth checking current schedules.

Plön District also offers a range of options on land. Its gently rolling landscape is suitable for cycling and hiking. The signposted cycling network covers 850 km; specific routes may change. There are also developed Nordic walking trails. A longer cycling tour, the two-day “Baltic Coast – Holstein Switzerland” route, runs from Kiel via Plön and Lütjenburg to the Baltic coast and is particularly suitable for pedelecs. Check the current route before setting out on a specific tour.

Discover more destinations: Nehmten, Lütjenburg, Högsdorf, Giekau, Kühren, Preetz-Land, Plön, Schrevenborn

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