Discover Salem: Lake Salem, the village and the farm tour

Salem offers several ways to shape a stay: you can swim and row on Lake Salem; broad Low German farmhouses and St Bartholomew’s Chapel, standing on a hill, define the village’s character. The farm tour starts and ends at the car park of the village community centre. You can weigh up water activities, village architecture and tour planning as different priorities before looking for accommodation for your stay.

Lake Salem and the village setting

Lake Salem offers opportunities for swimming and rowing. This gives you two different ways to spend time on the water: swimming or getting out on a rowing boat. Conditions on site may vary; if the lake is a key part of your plans, check the conditions before your visit.

Broad Low German farmhouses are part of the village’s character. St Bartholomew’s Chapel stands on a hill within the settlement. The houses and chapel represent two aspects of the village setting: a broad farmhouse style and a single religious building in an elevated position. For anyone interested in regional architecture, this offers another specific focus for a stay alongside the water.

Farm tour and getting there

The farm tour starts and ends at the car park of the village community centre in Salem. Paid parking is available at the community centre. From Ratzeburg, you can reach Salem via the L203 and Seestraße. Kaiser’s farm shop and café in Salem is a place to stop along the farm tour. As business details and local regulations may change, check the latest information about the business and parking in advance.

This comparison can help you assess Salem based on your travel group’s interests. If you are travelling with children, different preferences for water, activity and discovery may shape the day’s plans.

In the wider destination of the Duchy of Lauenburg

The Duchy of Lauenburg offers a broader landscape than Salem’s local attractions: 26 percent of the Duchy of Lauenburg district is forested, and the district has 48 lakes. It is also home to the Sachsenwald, the largest contiguous forest in Schleswig-Holstein. If you would like to consider woodland landscapes as well as water and village life when planning your trip, this provides a regional perspective.

The Lauenburg Lakes Nature Park has hiking trails, observation towers, nature trails and places to rest; it was established as a protected area for visitors to experience in 1960. The area, about 35 by 17 kilometres in size, provides habitat for kingfishers, white-tailed eagles and cranes, among other species. Activities available there include hiking, cycling, canoeing and swimming. Guided excursions with experts focus on the area’s wildlife, plant life and cultural history. Check individual excursion dates separately.

The cultural offerings in the Duchy of Lauenburg add their own highlights. The Elbe Shipping Museum in Lauenburg/Elbe presents the interactive, three-storey exhibition “Mensch-Modell-Maschine” about shipping. Visitors can get hands-on with models and experiment stations. The District Museum of the Duchy of Lauenburg in Ratzeburg displays exhibits on the history of the Dukes of Lauenburg and the border between East and West Germany. The Summer of Culture on the Canal is a four-week cultural festival held every summer; for specific event dates, consult the current annual programme.

For nature enthusiasts, the Uhlenkolk Environmental Centre in Mölln offers educational and experiential programmes for kindergartens, school classes, families and adults. Check the current opening arrangements before visiting. The region’s nature and cultural attractions can complement Salem’s specific highlights when planning, without implying a particular order or an excursion itinerary.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Tramm, Seedorf, Brunstorf, Breitenfelde, Mustin, Römnitz, Krukow, Möhnsen.

Back to the main travel overview: Duchy of Lauenburg.