Welcome to Ratzeburg
Water is the dominant theme in the island town of Ratzeburg. For its centre lies on an island, surrounded by 4 lakes: the Great Ratzeburg Lake, the Great Kitchen Lake, the Small Kitchen Lake and the Cathedral Lake.
Hiking and cycling paths lead around the island and the lakes, bathing and resting places are everywhere in short: everything is there for activity and rest.
A special view of the cathedral is caught by all those who view it from the water. The island city can be circumnavigated by excursion boat or pedalo, electric boat or rowing boat. Water and water sports belong to the city like the lion to the cathedral: Karl Adam once trained the Ratzeburg rowers here and brought home Olympic gold. The rowing academy remains an institution to this day.
Good to know
Directions & Parking facilities
| Number of parking spaces | 150 |
|---|---|
| Handicapped parking spaces | 10 |
| Bus parking spaces | 5 |
Arrival & Parking
Bicycle
Ratzeburg lies directly on the Hamburg-Rügen long-distance cycle route, approx. 4km from the EuroVelo13 Iron Curtain Trail and approx. 10km from the Alte Salzstraße long-distance cycle route. In addition, many regional cycle paths lead through the island town (see map).
Bike & Ride parking spaces at the railway station
Since January 2022, there have been 48 additional covered and secure bicycle parking spaces at Ratzeburg railway station. Parking spaces (short-term and long-term parking) can be booked and paid for online at www.rad-safe.de. More info HERE
Rail
There are hourly regional trains to/from Lübeck/Lüneburg with a stop in Ratzeburg as well as regional trains from Hamburg to Rostock and back every two hours with a stop in Büchen. In Büchen you get a direct connection to Ratzeburg. Please refer to the Deutsche Bahn AG homepage (Deutsche Bahn) for travel times.
Bus
Buses run to/from Ratzeburg to all neighbouring towns. To Hamburg-Wandsbek (line 8700) and Lübeck (line 8710) the buses run every half hour or hourly during the week. The bus times to/from Ratzeburger Bahnhof (e.g. lines 8501 and 8750) are coordinated with the Deutsche Bahn timetable. Timetable information on the bus lines is available from the Hamburger Verkehrsverbund (HVV).
Car
If you are coming via the A1, take the Bad Oldesloe exit (B 208) - after approx. 25 km you will reach Ratzeburg. Coming from the A24 - exit Talkau (B 207) - you will reach the island town after approx. 20 km. From the A20 - exit Groß Grönau - it is about 15 km to Ratzeburg.
Parking
There are plenty of parking spaces in Ratzeburg, for example on the square "Unter den Linden" (day ticket: Mon-Fri: €5, Sat/Sun €8; the town hall and tourist information office are located here) or on the Schlosswiese (day ticket: Mon-Sun €8). You can download an overview here:
Old Town Island car parks
Handyparking
You can also book your parking ticket with your smartphone. The advantages: you don't have to keep change handy and insert it into the parking ticket machine in advance. Instead, with the EasyPark app, you can start, extend or end your parking time as required. Overpaying or rushing to buy a ticket at the machine no longer happens. Parking tickets can be avoided with a click on 'Extend'.
The stickers on every parking ticket machine also show the first steps towards mobile parking.
Bus parking
You will find central bus parking on the island in Kleine Kreuzstraße (3 to 4 free spaces - important note: this bus parking area is currently only available to a very limited extent until late summer 2023 due to the renovation work on the Rowing Academy - and at the Wedenberg car park opposite the Schlosswiese (5 free parking spaces). There are opportunities for short stops for guests to get on and off the boat at the town hall car park (Unter den Linden) and on the Schlosswiese directly by the passenger boat service. You can also park your bus on the Schlosswiese for two hours free of charge with a parking disc.
Plane
Airport Hamburg / Fuhlsbüttel approx. 65 km distance
Airport Lübeck / Blankensee approx. 15 km distance
Bicycle
Ratzeburg lies directly on the Hamburg-Rügen long-distance cycle route, approx. 4km from the EuroVelo13 Iron Curtain Trail and approx. 10km from the Alte Salzstraße long-distance cycle route. In addition, many regional cycle paths lead through the island town (see map).
Bike & Ride parking spaces at the railway station
Since January 2022, there have been 48 additional covered and secure bicycle parking spaces at Ratzeburg railway station. Parking spaces (short-term and long-term parking) can be booked and paid for online at www.rad-safe.de. More info HERE
Rail
There are hourly regional trains to/from Lübeck/Lüneburg with a stop in Ratzeburg as well as regional trains from Hamburg to Rostock and back every two hours with a stop in Büchen. In Büchen you get a direct connection to Ratzeburg. Please refer to the Deutsche Bahn AG homepage (Deutsche Bahn) for travel times.
Bus
Buses run to/from Ratzeburg to all neighbouring towns. To Hamburg-Wandsbek (line 8700) and Lübeck (line 8710) the buses run every half hour or hourly during the week. The bus times to/from Ratzeburger Bahnhof (e.g. lines 8501 and 8750) are coordinated with the Deutsche Bahn timetable. Timetable information on the bus lines is available from the Hamburger Verkehrsverbund (HVV).
Car
If you are coming via the A1, take the Bad Oldesloe exit (B 208) - after approx. 25 km you will reach Ratzeburg. Coming from the A24 - exit Talkau (B 207) - you will reach the island town after approx. 20 km. From the A20 - exit Groß Grönau - it is about 15 km to Ratzeburg.
Parking
There are plenty of parking spaces in Ratzeburg, for example on the square "Unter den Linden" (day ticket: Mon-Fri: €5, Sat/Sun €8; the town hall and tourist information office are located here) or on the Schlosswiese (day ticket: Mon-Sun €8). You can download an overview here:
Old Town Island car parks
Handyparking
You can also book your parking ticket with your smartphone. The advantages: you don't have to keep change handy and insert it into the parking ticket machine in advance. Instead, with the EasyPark app, you can start, extend or end your parking time as required. Overpaying or rushing to buy a ticket at the machine no longer happens. Parking tickets can be avoided with a click on 'Extend'.
The stickers on every parking ticket machine also show the first steps towards mobile parking.
Bus parking
You will find central bus parking on the island in Kleine Kreuzstraße (3 to 4 free spaces - important note: this bus parking area is currently only available to a very limited extent until late summer 2023 due to the renovation work on the Rowing Academy - and at the Wedenberg car park opposite the Schlosswiese (5 free parking spaces). There are opportunities for short stops for guests to get on and off the boat at the town hall car park (Unter den Linden) and on the Schlosswiese directly by the passenger boat service. You can also park your bus on the Schlosswiese for two hours free of charge with a parking disc.
Plane
Airport Hamburg / Fuhlsbüttel approx. 65 km distance
Airport Lübeck / Blankensee approx. 15 km distance
Climatic Factors
The climate in Ratzeburg is temperate and humid. In summer, temperatures are mild and precipitation is high. In winter it is cold and it can rain, snow or both. Summers are warm and winters are cold, but not too cold. The best time to visit Ratzeburg is in spring and summer, when the temperatures are pleasant and nature is in full bloom.
License (master data)
