A picture-book landscape: Holstein Switzerland has almost 200 lakes surrounded by gentle hills and extensive forests. Discover Holstein Switzerland Nature Reserve's rare flora and fauna and a host of lakes - the best known, Great Plön Lake and Lesser Plön Lake, are popular for swimming, angling, waterskiing and windsurfing.  From spring to late autumn, Great Plön Lake (36 square kilometres) and its 28 islands are a paradise for sailors. There are all types of boat: Optimists, Lasers, catamarans, sailing yachts and the really big boys ... take your pick!

This is one of Germany's oldest nature reserves, with 40 lakes, wetlands, moors, hills and swathes of forest - in short, a nature lover's idyll. Perfect for people who enjoy walking or water sports, the area is sparsely populated and extremely peaceful. Lake Schaalsee, formed by the deepest land incision in Europe, is the best known. Lake Ratzeburg is ideal for rowers, sailors and windsurfers. Culture and water sports go hand in hand in these parts. Ratzeburg's enormous cathedral, a remarkable example of late-Romantic architecture, is always within sight of the lake.

The focal point of the Schaalsee biosphere reserve is Lake Schaalsee - at 72 metres deep, it is the deepest land incision in Europe. Most of Lake Schaalsee is a nature conservation area, but there are designated swimming areas where you can splash and swim to your heart's content. Lake Schaalsee's water quality is really excellent, and some areas can be explored on a pedalo, rowing or sailing boat. The biosphere reserve is a European bird sanctuary of international importance. Every Sunday between June and August, there is a very informative Schaalsee biosphere natural history tour.