The Nettelau flows out of Holzsee and Nettelsee near Gut Nettelau. Both lakes, the course of the river and smaller floodplains are within the municipality of Nettelsee. In summer, hills and meadows frame Nettelsee.
Water and hiking trails
As of July 2026, the Nettelau is being restored as part of the A21 project; the measures are intended to protect otters and European tree frogs. Construction-related conditions may change. If you are planning a specific section of the trail, check the latest notices.
A municipal route map from 2014 describes a hike along the Nettelau to Holzsee, about 6 km long and taking around 2 hours. Check the route locally before setting out. For a section near Holzsee, the same map describes a restriction on motor vehicles, while the path remains open to pedestrians and cyclists; confirm this access information locally as well.
Chapel and local history
Nettelsee Chapel was completed in early summer 1965. It was intended as a cemetery chapel and as a venue for services and gatherings; it was funded through the chapel construction programme of the former Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schleswig-Holstein. A church report from 2015 noted that the chapel continued to provide a space for community and quiet reflection. The chapel is located at Kirchweg 17, 24250 Nettelsee. Please check access arrangements before visiting.
Nearby, Gut Nettelau was established in 1795 as a Meierhof (a tenant farm) belonging to Gut Depenau. The former Depenau narrow-gauge railway station stands on the old railway embankment and is almost unchanged on the outside. Kielerkamper Weg is a rare sunken lane, lined with hedges on both sides.
Bus connections and the wider destination of Plön
The VKP route overview, dated 16 August 2026, lists two bus routes serving Nettelsee: route 363 runs between Plön, Ascheberg, Kalübbe, Depenau and Nettelsee; route 425 runs between Warnau, Nettelsee, Löptin and Preetz. Check the current timetable before travelling.
The wider destination of Plön includes around 80 lakes in the district of Plön, including Großer Plöner See, covering 29 km², and Selenter See, covering 22 km². The district lies between the Baltic Sea and Holstein Switzerland and has around 50 kilometres of Baltic coastline. The coast offers opportunities for swimming, sailing, surfing, diving, boat excursions, offshore sailing trips, cutter trips and surf fishing.
The hiking opportunities in Holstein Switzerland also form part of this wider area: the region offers 27 marked circular walks and many unmarked paths through hills, forests and meadows, and along reed-fringed lake shores. The number of marked paths may change. In Holstein Switzerland, public transport makes it easier to reach the start and end points of a circular walk; check the connection for your chosen route.
Discover more destinations: Selent-Schlesen, Höhndorf, Fiefbergen, Probstei, Schrevenborn, Fargau-Pratjau, Stakendorf, Wahlstorf
To the overview of the wider destination: Plön.
