A circuit of the Great Plön Lake is one of the nicest easy rides in Schleswig-Holstein, and the best part of it is that the lake never really leaves you. At times the water is a bright sheet ahead through the trees, at others a dark gleam behind a field, and now and then the road comes down to the shore itself, at a harbour, a landing stage or a beach. The lake is the largest in the state, wide and island-dotted, and the glacial hills around it give the road a pleasant rise and fall.
On the south side, near Ascheberg, the road runs close to the water through beech woods and lakeside meadows, and the bends are smooth and open, with good tarmac. Farther round, near Bosau, lies a small, ancient church on a spit of land that juts into the lake, and it is easily one of the most beautiful spots on the shore. A medieval priest named Helmold of Bosau wrote a chronicle here in the twelfth century about the Slavic peoples of the region and the German conquest of their lands, and it is still the best source of information about that period. Bosau's brick church dates from around the same time as his writing, and the setting beside the water is serene.
The wind is the main factor on the open sections, and on warm, still days the lake smells of reeds and sun-warmed mud. Cyclists use the lakeside paths in large numbers, so keep your speed down and pass with care. On summer weekends the road fills with cars, and parking at the beaches and landings can be difficult, so an early start is wise. In autumn the beech woods turn gold and the water is cold and clear, and the roads are quiet.
The villages along the way are small, with a bakery or a shop at best, and you may find a café at one of the harbours in season. Plön, with about thirteen thousand people, is the main town, with fuel stations, supermarkets and many places to eat, and Ascheberg and Bösdorf are smaller. Plan fuel in Plön before you set off round the lake, and carry a drink. Plan at least two hours for the circuit, with stops, and more if you want to swim.