Rickert combines a preserved, irregularly laid-out village center with a landscape whose features date back to the last Ice Age. For planning your trip, these offer two different perspectives: in the village, the focus is on oaks, church history, and Low German theatre; the landscape tells a story of geest, moorland, and heath. This makes it possible to discover Rickert through both tangible historical traces and geological connections.
Village History Through Oaks and the Village Center
Rickert’s historic village center has preserved its irregular layout. Near the entrance to Brenkhof stands a Peace Oak dating from 1871. A double oak near the smithy is said to symbolize the indivisibility of Schleswig-Holstein. The two trees point to different aspects of local history: a specific year is recorded for the Peace Oak, while the double oak highlights regional symbolism.
The village’s church history also goes back a long way: Rickert belonged to the Campen parish until the Campen church was demolished in 1691. Today, services are held regularly at the village meeting place. The venue is also used for performances by the Rendsburg Low German Theatre. Church services and Low German theatre are thus two distinct cultural connections for the village.
Agricultural motifs appear in the municipal coat of arms, which depicts a wagon wheel and a golden harrow. Together with the preserved layout and the two oaks, these symbols add to the picture of a village whose history can be read through various tangible features.
Ice Age Landscape and Selkenkoppel
Rickert lies in the outer terminal moraine zone of the last Ice Age and near the boundary between the Schleswiger and Holsteiner geest. The terrain is mostly flat, with just a few small hills in the east. This presents a different picture from the distinctive landmarks of the village center: here, the landscape is shaped by broad, relatively level forms, while there, individual historic buildings and trees stand out.
Moorland and heath are also part of this landscape’s history. Meltwater channels in the surrounding area formed moorland over thousands of years; heath developed in sandier areas. A description from 2005 presents the Selkenkoppel Trail as a nature trail featuring native deciduous and coniferous trees. Geological processes and native trees are thus two distinct nature-related themes.
Rendsburg-Eckernförde on a Broader Scale
If you would like to explore regional themes beyond Rickert, the wider travel destination of Rendsburg-Eckernförde offers a broader perspective. The district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde has 55 kilometres of Baltic Sea coastline; about 70 kilometres, or two-thirds, of the Kiel Canal run through the district. These figures describe the region, not Rickert’s village center.
Cycling and hiking opportunities should also be considered at the regional level: the district has a signposted cycle network stretching 1,000 kilometres. Four nature parks are located in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, and the 180-kilometre Nature Park Hiking Trail passes through them. The cycling distance refers to a signposted network, while the hiking trail is a single route through the four nature parks. When planning your trip, you can therefore distinguish between Rickert’s own village history and the broader themes of the region.
Discover more destinations: Klein Wittensee, Rieseby, Holzbunge, Schönhorst, Fleckeby, Lütjenwestedt, Schacht-Audorf, Fockbek
Back to the regional travel overview: Rendsburg-Eckernförde.
