Gokels lies in a landscape shaped by the Ice Age, including the wooded old moraine hills around Vossberg and the lowlands of the Haner-Au. Both landscape areas were designated as a landscape conservation area in 2000. From elevated points, the view stretches north across the lowlands and as far as the Kiel Canal. Wooded heights and lowlands shape the landscape; nature and traces of early settlement give a stay in Gokels a range of possible focuses.
Hiking between hills and lowlands
Gokels is a starting point for extended hikes along well-marked trails. If you would like to combine nature and local history during your stay, you can make hiking a central part of your day’s plans and explore historical points of interest as another theme. For longer outings, it is worth allowing plenty of time; the trail signs provide a clear framework for finding your way. Hiking and local history offer different emphases: here, the landscape takes centre stage; there, the town’s religious and historical connections.
Church and historical traces
St. John’s Church stands on Bakenberg in Gokels, where services are held regularly. A memorial site near the church commemorates the plague outbreak of 1713. Bakenberg thus combines religious use with a historical reminder of a specific episode.
Among the older traces are numerous megalithic tombs in the wooded old moraine hills around Vossberg; they are associated with the beginnings of settlement. A separate stone at the community centre commemorates the 700th anniversary of the first documentary mention of Ohrsee in 1281. Together with the memorial site at Bakenberg, these landmarks reveal different historical periods: early settlement, the written record of Ohrsee and the plague outbreak of 1713. These connections help those interested in cultural history navigate between archaeological traces, local tradition and remembrance.
The wider region: Rendsburg-Eckernförde
The wider travel destination of Rendsburg-Eckernförde offers an additional regional perspective. The Rendsburg-Eckernförde district is home to four nature parks; a substantial part of their area consists of nature and landscape conservation areas, providing habitats for a diverse range of animal and plant life. The 180-kilometre Nature Park Hiking Trail passes through all four parks. The district’s signposted cycling network covers 1,000 kilometres. Westensee-Obere Eider Nature Park includes numerous lake complexes in the Schleswig-Holstein Uplands; Westensee, covering around seven square kilometres, is a popular destination for day trips. In fine weather, the 98-metre-high Aschberg offers panoramic views as far as the Kiel Canal, Eckernförde Bay and the state capital, Kiel.
Getting there by train
Gokels is served by RB 63 on the Neumünster–Heide–Büsum line. As service patterns may change, check the timetable for your travel date.
Discover more destinations: Barkelsby, SchĂĽlp Bei Rendsburg, Felm, Bendorf, Haby, Altenhof, Sehestedt, Schacht-Audorf.
View the overview of the wider travel destination: Rendsburg-Eckernförde.
