Plön Castle

Plön Castle occupies a prominent peninsula jutting into the Großer Plöner See, the largest lake in the Holstein Switzerland nature park, with water on three sides and a terraced park descending to the shore. The castle was built between 1633 and 1636 for Duke Joachim Ernst of Schleswig-Holstein-Sønderburg-Plön as a four-wing Renaissance complex around a rectangular courtyard, making it one of the largest palace buildings in Schleswig-Holstein. The interior includes the Rittersaal (Knights' Hall) with its original 17th-century stucco ceiling featuring hunting scenes and allegorical figures, the ducal apartments with period furnishings, and the palace chapel with a carved wooden altarpiece and ducal pew. After the Plön line died out, the castle was used as a Prussian cadet school in the 19th century and as a state boarding school (Schloss Plön) until 2001, so the building has a layered institutional history alongside its princely past. The castle tower is climbable and offers panoramic views over the Großer Plöner See, the Kleiner Plöner See, and the chain of lakes stretching toward Eutin. The adjacent Schlosspark has walking trails, a beach for swimming, and a cafe. Plön is accessible by regional train from Kiel (30 minutes) or Lübeck (50 minutes), and the castle is a 10-minute walk from the train station through the town's pleasant Altstadt.