1.05 Eckernförde - Dänisch Nienhof

From Eckernförde’s pedestrian zone, the route takes a detour to the train station and then back to the well-maintained beach promenade. At the end of the promenade, you cross the railroad tracks and head up a hill, from which you have a fantastic view of Eckernförde Bay and the course of this stage. From this hill, the trail leads back down across the railroad tracks to the coast, where you have to follow the busy highway for a while. By the time you reach the Kiekut settlement, you’ve left this rather unpleasant stretch behind and climb the Mövenberg, where a large memorial forest is located. It’s therefore particularly busy here on Sundays.

The trail continues in a zigzag pattern through the Schnellmarker Woods, where you can occasionally catch glimpses of the sea shimmering through the trees. Finally, at the edge of the forest, you reach the Baltic Sea coast again and follow an easy-to-walk grassy path toward Aschauhof, staying close to the water the whole way. The trail eventually ends at a natural beach, which you must now follow for over 3 km until just before Noer. Alternatively, you can walk the first section through the campground grounds to conserve a little energy.

Just before Noer, the E1 trail climbs from the coast up into the forest (there’s a marker on a boulder on the beach just before this point). From the forest, you arrive directly in Noer, where the trail heads back toward the coast and the next 3-kilometer stretch of beach awaits the hiker. At Jellenbek, the trail returns to the high shore; for this stage, you have now completed the strenuous beach sections. The coastline is briefly left at Surendorf to bypass a marine radio station.

Near Eckernholm, the trail leads back into the forest. The trail markers indicate that the path continues along the steep bank. However, a sign prohibits hiking there due to the risk of landslides. It is therefore advisable to find a path through the forest that is further away from the bank. Passing an impressive villa, you finally reach the end of the stage in Dänisch-Nienhof.

Last text update: 25.07.2020

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