Schönkirchen: St. Mary’s Church, Village Pond and Nature Trail

Schönkirchen can be explored through a range of travel interests: St. Mary’s Church and the historic houses by the village pond offer a cultural focus, while the nature trail offers a scenic one. The main attractions are architectural history, the church cycling route and a circular walk through woodland and meadows.

Church and Village Pond: Schönkirchen’s History

St. Mary’s Church is a hall church built from granite blocks in the late 13th century. Its wooden Baroque altarpiece was carved by Hans Gudewerdt the Younger and installed in 1653. The building and the altarpiece belong to different periods, giving the church its own artistic and architectural-historical significance. If church architecture or historic interiors are what interest you, it offers a specific cultural point of reference when choosing a travel destination.

St. Mary’s Church is also a stop on the Brottour church cycling route. A rest area with bicycle racks, information boards and toilets is located in the adjacent churchyard. This brings together a church stop on the cycling route and a designated place to rest in the square. This is a distinct feature for travellers interested in churches and cycling.

Around Schönkirchen’s village pond, historic houses document important aspects of the village’s origins and way of life. An inventory from 2024 lists former inns, a residential and commercial building dating from 1900, the Hörn-Huus and other historic buildings. The different types of buildings offer a different perspective on local history than St. Mary’s Church: here, the focus is on houses and their former uses, while there it is on church architecture and furnishings.

Nature Trail Through Woodland and Meadows

The Schönkirchen Nature Trail is a circular route about 2.8 kilometres long through woodland and meadows. Twelve stations line the route. The circular route and the number of stations provide a clear structure for the walk; the approximate length helps you factor it into your day’s plans. The trail starts in Augustental, near the sports facilities.

This gives you a choice between different focuses: St. Mary’s Church and the houses by the village pond tell the story of architectural history and the village’s development; the nature trail forms a circular walk through woodland and meadows, with twelve stations along the way. If you are considering Schönkirchen as a travel destination, you can use these options to decide whether local cultural history or a walk through the countryside better suits your travel interests.

Plön as the Wider Scenic Region

Plön District lies between the Baltic Sea and Holstein Switzerland and has about 50 kilometres of Baltic Sea coastline. The district includes around 80 lakes, including Lake Großer Plöner See, covering 29 km², and Lake Selenter See, covering 22 km². These landscape figures provide an overview of Plön as the wider travel destination.

There are places to swim along the Baltic Sea coast of Plön District, from Mönkeberg to Sehlendorfer Strand. Other activities available there include sailing, windsurfing, diving, boat trips, offshore sailing trips, fishing boat trips and surf fishing. Looking at Plön thus adds lakes and coastal activities across the district to Schönkirchen’s local attractions.

Large parts of the district are within Holstein Switzerland Nature Park. It covers 75,000 hectares and offers opportunities to experience nature as well as see rare animals. Plön as the wider travel destination therefore encompasses both waterways and coastline and a vast natural landscape.

Discover more destinations: Mönkeberg.

See the overview of destinations in the wider area: Schrevenborn.