Where the Danevirke meets the water, it has to do something clever, and here at Fahrdorf you can see the point. The wall that is labelled Connection Wall Area 3 ties the western ramparts to the fortified town of Hedeby, running down toward the shore of the Schlei, an inlet that reaches far inland. At the water's edge the ground is soft and wet, and the builders used it as part of the defence, so the bank peters out in reeds and mud.
The village of Fahrdorf, with about two and a half thousand people, sits on a narrow causeway between two arms of the Schlei, and has been a crossing point for centuries. A bridge once connected it to Schleswig by way of a long wooden causeway, and the old route can still be traced. Today the village is a pleasant, rather sleepy place, with a harbour for small boats and a view across the water to Schleswig's cathedral spire.
The landscape is a fine mixture of water and field. The Schlei is not a river but an arm of the Baltic, brackish and slightly salty, and it supports an odd blend of fish and birds. In winter, swans and geese gather on the water, and in spring the reed beds fill with warblers. The road follows the shore for some distance, giving good views, and the corners are soft and slow. The tarmac is generally good, but the wind can be sharp on the exposed stretches.
Schleswig, three kilometres away, has everything you need in the way of fuel, shops and places to eat, and Fahrdorf itself has a small supermarket and a bakery. Dannewerk is a few minutes inland. Walk a short way along the bank, and the connection between wall and water becomes clear. If you can, come in the evening, when the light turns the Schlei to silver, and the reeds are full of the last birdsong of the day. It is a gentle place, where history lies quietly in the grass.