Schönwohld: Nature and Local History

If you’re planning an overnight stay in Schönwohld, you can tailor your trip to your interests: the area offers points of interest relating both to the landscape and to local history. When choosing a hotel, it helps to consider in advance whether you’d like to focus more on Lake Hansdorf and the protected landscape or on Schönwohld’s local history.

Natural Environment and Landscape

Lake Hansdorf lies east of County Road 32 near Schönwohld. An assessment of its habitats under the Habitats Directive describes it as shallow, heavily silted up, and eutrophic, meaning nutrient-rich. Typical features of the lake’s vegetation as it silts up include reed beds, willow scrub, and alder carr. The silted-up zone is well developed and almost continuous; other impacts are assessed as moderate. This ecological classification describes the habitat, whose conditions may change over time.

Schönwohld borders the “Upper Eider Area Including Lakes” Habitats Directive site almost directly. The site includes the valley of the Hansdorfer Au from its confluence with the Eider to County Road 32 near Schönwohld. Extensive grassland shapes the landscape in the protected area’s valleys, which are about 100 to 500 meters wide. In some places, adjacent grassland areas on the moraine slopes are also included. The lakeshore and the valley thus represent different landscape forms within the protected area.

Schönwohld is a district of the municipality of Achterwehr, which lies west of Kiel. The municipality covers more than just this district: large parts of its area lie within protected landscapes or nature reserves and are part of Westensee Nature Park. The municipality also has a public bathing area at Lake Ahrensee.

Routes and Getting Around

Outside the built-up area, a combined footpath and cycle path runs along Rendsburger Landstraße between Achterwehr and Schönwohld. The municipality’s 2024 climate protection plan rates the path as being in very good condition.

Local History in Schönwohld

The Schönwohld school chronicle covers the years 1882 to 1960. Teacher Sievert Holling began writing it in 1882. Those interested in local history can find in it a chronicle of the village school covering a specific period. The 180-page chronicle is available for €10. Check in advance at schulchronik@achterwehr.de to see if it is still available.

Natural and cultural monuments also provide tangible links to local history. A municipal planning document from 2003 describes a yew tree in the triangular area formed by K 93, “Am Griesenbötel,” and “Ins Fegefeuer” as protected under Section 15b of the Schleswig-Holstein Nature Conservation Act (LNatSchG). At the time, its age was estimated at about 120 years. The document also gives a trunk diameter of about 80 centimeters and a crown diameter of about eight meters. The Griesenbötel inn in Schönwohld is designated as a cultural monument.

The landscape and local history offer different focuses for planning your trip: habitats and vegetation take center stage at Lake Hansdorf and in the Habitats Directive site; the school chronicle and designated monuments point to Schönwohld’s local history. Consider which topic interests you most when looking for a hotel for your trip to Schönwohld.

Discover more destinations: Schülldorf, Norby, Rodenbek, Schülp Bei Rendsburg, Hamweddel, Melsdorf, Groß Vollstedt, Damendorf.

See the main travel guide: Rendsburg-Eckernförde.