Ratzeburg is in Schleswig Holstein. It has been known as a "rowing Mecca" for decades due to the local rowing club and rowing academy which were founded by Karl Adam and produced many rowing greats.

Understand

Ratzeburg lies near a lake creatively named "Ratzerburg See". Parts of its old town are on an island in the lake with causeways connecting it to the mainland. One of the things that makes Ratzeburg known beyond its immediate surroundings are the local rowers with a rowing club and a rowing academy whose purpose it is to produce Olympic level athletes.

Get in

By train

• 1 Bahnhof Ratzeburg. Hourly service along the Lübeck-Lüneburg line 

See

• 1 St. Georg auf dem Berge. Church  
• 2 Ernst Barlach Museum Ratzeburg, Barlachplatz 3, 23909 Ratzeburg, ☏ +49 45 41 37 89, kontakt@ernst-barlach.de. Tu-Su 11:00-18:00. A museum dedicated to Ernst Barlach where he spent part of his childhood. €8 reduced €6.  
• 3 Ratzeburger Dom. Easily Ratzeburg's most impressive church built from brick as most older buildings in this part of Germany are.  
• 4 St.-Petri-Kirche (Stadtkirche). Late Baroque church built in the 18th century  
• 5 Herrenhaus der Herzöge von Mecklenburg (Kreismuseum Herzogtum Lauenburg). A former stately home now hosting a local museum  
• 6 A. Paul Weber Museum, Domhof 5, 23909 Ratzeburg, ☏ +49 45 41 86 07 20, kreismuseen-rz@t-online.de. Adults €3.  

Do

• Erlebnisbahn Ratzeburg, ☏ +49 4541 883216, info@erlebnisbahn-ratzeburg.de. You can rent a draisine to run on the 13 km (8.1 mi) former railway line from Ratzeburg to Hollenbek (updated May 2020)

Eat

• 1 Fischerstube Ratzeburg, Schloßwiese 2, ☏ +49 4541 3559. Daily from 11:00. A fish place 

Sleep

Campsites

• 1 Campingplatz Schwalkenberg, Dorfstraße 32a 23909 Römnitz (On the eastern shore of Lake Ratzeburg), ☏ +49 172 4117032, Campingplatz-schwalkenberg@gmx.de. From €4.50 per tent + €2 for electricity. 

Hotels

• 2 Wittler's Hotel, Große Kreuzstraße 11 23909 Ratzeburg, ☏ +49 4541 3204, info@wittlers-hotel.de. 

Learn

• 1 Rowing Academy Ratzeburg.  
• 2 Segelschule Ratzeburg (Reeperbahn 4), ☏ +49 4541 3118, info@ratzeburger-segelschule.de. They also offer a small Ferienwohnung to stay in (not included in course fees) Weekend course €330 "basic course" (M-Fr) €280 + exam fee; single lecture: €60 sports boating license for inland waters: €580 + exam fee.