If it wasn’t for the extreme cold weather, I think I could live here in Germany’s northernmost town, Glücksburg. Or, would that be Glücksborg, or Lyksborg, for that matter.
The names of the German Glücksburg can be confusing, but less so if you know that they speak Low German and Danish here as well. Denmark is just over the water, and thus all three languages are taught in the schools in these parts.
Actually, this part of Germany was once ruled by Norwegian and Danish Kings — the latter having used Schloss Glücksburg as a summer home.
I really can’t think of a prettier place to spend the summer than this white Renaissance castle that’s surrounded by water. Even the Gatehouse was connected by a drawbridge. Today the Schloss is now a museum where everyone can learn about its history and the people who used to live here.
The castle in Glücksburg still stands after several centuries, but the Zisterzienserkloster Rüde is long gone. This Cistercian monastery was built here at the turn of the 12th/13th centuries, but all that’s left is a memorial stone to this medieval building.
And if you think that’s truly old, wait until you see the Großsteingräben northeast and west of town. These Neolithic graves are spread out over a kilometer — and look more like rock formations than someone’s final prehistoric resting place.
Nearby is the Großsteingrab Bockholm, another prehistoric grave site.
It’s good to be out in the fresh air up here. And it seems like just the right spot for a Yacht School, considering there’s so much water around.
Don’t want to captain your own ship? Try looking for sea birds, they like to nest this far north, and the salt marshes and cliffs make for some dramatic scenery.
As if that’s not enough, the Flensburger Förde (Flensburg Firth), part of the Kiel Bay, is also great in that department.
Now I understand why the Danish Royal Family liked to spend summers here — it’s lovely.
Anyone know how to say that in Danish? ;-)
