The 42 km long Schlei is a unique recreational area. It is surrounded by a picturesque landscape with thatched-roof houses, nestled among blooming meadows, rapeseed fields, and fruit orchards, as well as light beech forests, where the blue of the water frequently glimmers. In the Schlei villages, time seems to stand still. Rich estates with magnificent manors, old farm gardens, Romanesque churches, and romantic country cafés await discovery. In between are tranquil places like the idyllic fishing village of Maasholm, Sieseby, Kappeln, and Arnis, all known from the television series "Der Landarzt." Time and again, one encounters relics from other eras: the Danewerk and the Viking settlement of Haithabu, as well as numerous burial mounds. At the end of the Schlei lies Schleswig. As the princely residence of the Gottorf dukes, it became the cultural center of Northern Europe. Here, the castle and gardens invite exploration.