Ratzeburg

Ratzeburg occupies an island in the Ratzeburger See connected to the shore by three causeways. Henry the Lion founded the cathedral around 1154 as part of the expansion of the Saxon church eastward, and it is one of the earliest brick buildings in northern Germany, built when the technique of firing brick was newly reintroduced to the region and before the mature brick Gothic of Lübeck. The interior is heavy Romanesque with later Gothic elements. The sculptor Ernst Barlach spent his childhood in the town and a museum in his father's house holds his work. Rowing is a strong local tradition on the lake.

What you actually see

• The brick cathedral - one of the earliest brick buildings in the north.
• The island town - a settlement on a lake island with three causeways.
• The Barlach museum - the sculptor's childhood house and works.
• The rowing tradition - a lake used by a well-known rowing club.

When to go

May to September; boat trips run on the lake in season. The cathedral closes during services. The town is small and quiet year-round.

Honest expectations

The town is small, seen in half a day. Museums keep limited hours. Boat services stop in winter.

Nearby

Mölln lies south; Lübeck is north.