Windeby: Noor, Moor Finds and Ancient Routes

Windeby brings together a waterside landscape and an unusually layered archaeological heritage. The Windebyer Noor, various routes and traces from several prehistoric periods give the area its distinct character: you can focus your stay on hiking or cycling, or explore archaeological finds and historic buildings.

Water and Routes

The Windebyer Noor is a large inland lake that was once connected to the Baltic Sea. Schnaaper See is considered a summer swimming spot with very good water quality in a peaceful natural setting. Local lakes are used for swimming and fishing.

Hiking options include the Noorwanderweg, a route south of Kochendorf towards Osterbek, and paths towards Westerthal, Friedland and the hinterland of Friedensthal. A signposted circular hike around the Windebyer Noor is 7 miles long; with a detour to Kochendorf, it is 8.3 miles. Parts of the route follow a nature trail, whose information covers the Noor’s surroundings and a former railway.

For cycling, there is the NoorTörn: the 26.83-kilometre loop starts and ends at the Windebyer Noor. It is considered an easy cycle route and runs mostly along paved paths. Check the current conditions on the relevant route before setting out on a hike or cycle ride.

Traces of the Osterwall and Heerweg

The Osterwall runs through Kochendorf and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Danevirke and Haithabu. In Windeby’s landscape, only hedge-like remains of the former Osterwall are visible. Information boards in Kochendorf introduce visitors to the World Heritage Site.

A hiking route also follows this historic trace: the Gammelby hiking trail runs along the Osterwall between Kochendorf and the Windebyer Noor. An information board along the route provides historical background on the rampart. Another section tells the story of a different connection: around 1 kilometre of the Old Heerweg runs unpaved through Windeby and Kochendorf. The Heerweg predates the Osterwall and led from the Slavic territories east of Kiel to the Ochsenweg.

Archaeological Finds and Historic Buildings

The Windeby Child was discovered in 1952 near Schiefkoppel, an area that once belonged to Windeby. The find is classified as the remains of a 14-year-old child; the child’s sex has not been determined with certainty. Bog bodies from the former Domslandmoor, which was associated with Windeby, are among the main attractions at the Archaeological Museum Schloss Gottorf. Before visiting, it is advisable to check the museum’s current information.

Windeby’s oldest archaeological monument is a megalithic long barrow, hidden in the forest and dating from the Neolithic period. There are also Bronze Age burial mounds, around 3,500 years old, as well as burial grounds from the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Viking Age. The date of the surviving ramparts is unknown.

Around 60 shell middens around the Windebyer Noor are considered unique in the north. Notable historic buildings include Windeby Manor and the surrounding estate buildings. Windeby thus brings together traces from different periods, from early burial sites and historic routes to buildings belonging to the estate.

Find Accommodation to Suit Your Travel Interests

When looking for accommodation in Windeby, you can start by considering what you want your stay to focus on: walks and circular routes by the Noor, a cycling tour or the area’s archaeological history. The routes and finds mentioned offer different themes to explore, without requiring a single outing to cover every aspect of the area.

Discover more destinations: Noer, Brügge, Schierensee, Owschlag, Westerrönfeld, Holzdorf, Groß Vollstedt, Beldorf.

See the broader travel overview: Rendsburg-Eckernförde.