Groß Vollstedt: Lake, Chapel and Hiking Trails

Groß Vollstedt combines Vollstedter See and rolling countryside with special insights into the village’s architectural history. Bathing and play areas sit side by side by the water, while hiking trails and longer routes open up the surrounding area on foot. The village is also home to a chapel with an unusual place in a Schleswig-Holstein building programme and a historic water tower that is now important for nature conservation.

Vollstedter See: Nature Reserve, Bathing Area and Playground

Vollstedter See has been designated a Natura 2000 site (FFH area) since 2007. The protected area includes not only the lake, but also its shores and areas where the lake is silting up, as well as surrounding low-lying land used mainly as grassland. The protected landscape thus encompasses the water, shoreline areas and low-lying grassland.

The bathing area at Vollstedter See is unsupervised and freely accessible at all times. A shelter and barbecue area complement the bathing area; there is no kiosk or snack bar. The Badestelle Groß Vollstedt playground is right next door. Its facilities include a slide, swing, seesaw, sandpit and shelter. For an outing with children, swimming and play breaks are therefore right beside each other. Important when planning: swimming is unsupervised. Access conditions and facilities may change, so check them before your visit.

The Chapel and Water Tower Tell the Story of the Village

The “Zum guten Hirten” chapel in Groß Vollstedt is a roof-only church dating from 1958/59. It was the first small church to receive funding under Schleswig-Holstein’s chapel-building programme. The building therefore represents not only a particular architectural form, but also a statewide programme to build small churches. The chapel is considered especially worthy of preservation for historical and academic reasons.

The historic water tower stands at the northern end of Groß Vollstedt and is regarded as a village landmark. It is a surviving example of a type of water-storage building that was significant to the social, public-health and technological history of rural areas. Today, the tower provides shelter for bats and is also linked to local efforts to protect owls. The two buildings offer different perspectives: the chapel points to church construction in the post-war period, while the water tower reflects technological and social developments in rural areas.

Hiking Trails of Different Lengths

Groß Vollstedt is set in rolling countryside and has an extensive network of hiking trails. The approximately 35-kilometre Nature Park Hiking Trail passes through the village. The route is currently being signposted; check the latest information on the trail markers before setting out.

Groß Vollstedt is also one of the villages on the Westensee Tour, which is about 40 kilometres long. In the wider Rendsburg-Eckernförde travel region, this tour circles the approximately 700-hectare Westensee and leads through woodland and open countryside, with some uphill sections along the way. It is therefore roughly five kilometres longer than the Nature Park Hiking Trail. Both distances are approximate and help you gauge the length of walking day you have in mind.

The trails offer different starting points for planning: an extensive local hiking network provides further options, while the two named routes give you an approximate distance. For the 35-kilometre route, you should also check the current signposting. This will help you decide whether to focus on a day by the lake, a longer hike, or a combination of nature and local history.

Choose the Right Focus for Your Stay

When looking for accommodation in Groß Vollstedt, first consider what you would like your stay to centre on: time at Vollstedter See, hikes through the rolling countryside, or a look at the chapel and water tower. If you are travelling with children, you can make the most of the bathing area and playground being right next to each other, while bearing in mind that swimming is unsupervised. Approximate route lengths offer a first guide for hiking days; if you plan to take the route currently being signposted, checking the latest trail markers is part of your preparation.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Borgstedt, Lindau, Gammelby, Kronshagen, Seefeld, Damendorf, Schacht-Audorf, Neudorf-Bornstein.

Back to the main travel overview: Rendsburg-Eckernförde.