Eutin is a town with a lake, a castle and a composer. The lake, the Großer Eutiner See, is a broad stretch of water at the heart of the Holstein Switzerland region, with wooded shores and a slender island, and the castle stands at its edge, a moated palace of the old prince-bishops of Lübeck, surrounded by a landscape park. The composer is Carl Maria von Weber, who was born in the town in 1786, and the summer opera festival here is held in his honour on an open-air stage by the lake.
The town, with about seventeen thousand people, is known as the rose town, for the flowers that fill the gardens and the market square. It has a pleasant old centre of low brick houses, cafes and shops, and a lakeside promenade. Fuel and groceries are plentiful, and the cafes serve the cake and coffee that are essential to north German life. Malente, with its lakes and spa gardens, is a few kilometres away.
The Holstein Switzerland is a hilly region of glacial landscapes, left by the last ice age, with lakes, beech woods and rolling fields, and it is among the best riding in the north. The roads are smooth, with gentle curves and short climbs, and the lakes appear at every turn. The surface is generally excellent, but the verges are lined with trees, so look out for shadows and patches of damp in the morning. Cyclists are everywhere in summer, so share the road.
The lake is a good place to take a break, with benches and a path along the shore, and boat trips in summer. The light in the evening is soft and golden, and swans glide on the water. Spring and autumn bring colour and quiet, while summer can be busy at weekends. Come on a weekday, and you may have the shore to yourself.