Salem walks

Varied circular hike from Salem around Salem Lake, through the Neukogeler Tannen and along Pipersee.

A beautiful and varied circular hike around the idyllic Küchensee lake near Ratzeburg.

From Ratzeburg, the saltire , on the long-distance E1 and E6 trails and the Green Arrow of the North-South Trail, leads walkers all the way to Mölln. From the island district, the route follows the Küchensee to the Farchauer Mühle. The rest of the walk takes you through the extensive forests of the Duchy of Lauenburg. At the weekend, the paths along the lakeshore are often bustling with walkers and cyclists. With every step away from the lake, the day-trippers disperse into the surrounding countryside, so that you’re almost on your own again relatively quickly. Whilst there are still a few places to rest near the lake, a tree trunk will now have to suffice for a break. Shortly before Mölln, the walking route takes several twists and turns, meandering in a zigzag pattern through the forest.

Schmalsee and Lütauer See are part of a string of lakes in the Duchy of Lauenburg that stretches from Gudow to Mölln like a string of pearls. The lakes are linked by the Hellbach stream, which also feeds the Hellbachtal floodplain a little further south. The walk takes you round both lakes along paths that are mostly well-maintained.