Karby is located in Schwansen; its Early Gothic church is a notable cultural landmark. The building dates from 1280 and houses furnishings from several centuries. This provides a clear reason to visit during your stay. The wider Rendsburg-Eckernförde destination broadens the picture with district-wide themes such as the coast, cycling and nature.

Church: architecture and furnishings

The Early Gothic building dates from 1280, and its distinctive tower is 24 metres high. These features give architecture enthusiasts a clear starting point for exploring the church as a building. Inside, the furnishings date back further than the church itself: the granite baptismal font is from the 12th century. The carved pulpit from 1592 is attributed to Hans Gudewerdt; the windows are by Käte Lassen. This brings together furnishings and works of art from different periods in one place.

Visiting and season

The church can be visited daily from Easter until the Harvest Festival, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Plan your church visit for this period and check the seasonal visiting hours locally before your trip.

Rendsburg-Eckernförde: the wider setting

Rendsburg-Eckernförde district offers a broader regional setting. It has 55 kilometres of Baltic Sea coastline, a signposted cycle network spanning 1,000 kilometres and four nature parks. This gives you a choice of different district-wide themes: coastal scenery, cycling and nature.

The district’s nature parks consist to a significant extent of nature and landscape conservation areas and provide habitats for a diverse range of flora and fauna. The 180-kilometre Nature Park Hiking Trail passes through the district’s four nature parks. The European long-distance footpath E1 is marked along its entire route with a white St Andrew’s cross and runs through the Hüttener Berge, the Brekendorf Forest and over the Aschberg.

There are also different types of scenery within the nature theme: Westensee-Obere Eider Nature Park is characterised by numerous lake complexes in the Schleswig-Holstein Uplands. It includes Westensee, which covers around 7 km² and is a popular destination for day trips. In fine weather, the 98-metre-high Aschberg offers panoramic views extending to the Kiel Canal, Eckernförde Bay and the state capital, Kiel.

Culture and regional traditions

The district also offers cultural highlights beyond Karby’s church. Rendsburg’s old town dates from the 13th century and is still characterised by medieval buildings. The Jewish Museum in Rendsburg is housed in Schleswig-Holstein’s oldest surviving synagogue; the building is both a historic monument and a memorial. The district’s cultural range therefore extends from church furnishings and medieval urban architecture to a museum that serves as a place of remembrance.

Eckernförde adds a culinary tradition to this regional picture: the town is associated with smoking sprats and other small fish. The famous “Kiel sprats” actually come from the fishing town of Eckernförde. Alongside cultural and scenic attractions, the region’s fish tradition thus offers another reason to visit.

Discover more destinations: Schönhagen, Norby, Krogaspe, Eiderkanal, Noer, Melsdorf, Holzbunge, Rieseby

Back to the main travel overview: Rendsburg-Eckernförde.