グロースバルカウのおすすめツーリングルート

小さな水浴び場です。むしろ半日陰の犬の水浴び場です。ベンチはもうありません（2016年5月現在）。

This small lake with a rest area and information panel is located in the Barkau region. The area formerly belonged to the monastic estate of Ahrensbök Abbey. In 1735, the village of Barkau was able to buy its freedom from serfdom. "Barkau region" is actually a made-up term coined for the association of eleven neighboring municipalities in the area.

Imposing entrance gate to the pretty monastery courtyard

It's a secluded bathing spot with a beautiful view of Lake Bothkamp, a green meadow, and a picnic area. Walking across the jetty with several people is quite an experience, as it does sway a bit 😉.

When the antique shop is open, you can also drive into the Bothkamp estate—we do it on Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 😉. The White Manor House, however, is private.

On the way to the train station, we are reminded once again that Preetz is widely known as the "shoemaker's town." A name that dates back to the heyday of the shoemaking trade in the 19th century, when numerous shoemakers lived and worked in the town. Even though the shoe industry is no longer as dominant today, this tradition is kept alive through monuments.

From the hiking trail bridge you have a beautiful view downstream of the idyllic properties on the river bank.

The Kirchbarkau - Preetz - Lütjenburg (KPL) narrow-gauge railway, founded in 1908, connected rural towns in the region from 1910 onwards over a distance of 41.1 kilometres with 23 stops and was used primarily for freight transport, for example for agricultural products. Despite good infrastructure and regular transport, it was not economically viable, so passenger transport was initially discontinued and then all operations were discontinued in 1938. The line was dismantled, but relics such as the Schwentine Bridge remind us of this short but significant era in regional transport history.