The best running trails around Rantzau

A very beautiful fieldstone church. Outside and inside!

a really old brick church. It was built in the 12th century from field stones based on designs by Vicilin. Beautiful - inside and out. Simple and not pretentious. I particularly liked the small apse and the angel in it.

Nice church along the way

Nice view after a small climb,... sit down, relax, have a picnic.

a really old brick church. It was built from field stones in the 12th century. Beautiful - inside and out. Simple and not presumptuous. I particularly liked the small apse and the angel in it.

The founding of the church is closely related to the settlement of German farmers by Adolf II von Schauenburg (around 1140). “Still under Heinrich d. Löwen (1129-95) a church was built right in the middle of the Utine-Plune-Luitkenborg triangle, in a village given to the bishop, which received and kept the name 'nova ecclesia', new church ”. The exact year of foundation has not been determined, even if the church celebrated the 850th anniversary of the church in 2010, which would suggest a foundation in 1160. The building plan was designed by the church builder Canon Volchart from Flanders at the same time as the plans for the churches in Bosau, Ratekau and Süsel at the time of Bishop Vicelin. Like these churches, the St. Johannis Church in Neukirchen, which is consecrated to John the Baptist, is also known as the Vicelinkirche, even if all these churches were only built at the time of his successor Gerold. However, if you look at the dates of the inaugurations of the other Vicelinkirchen (Bosau 1152, Ratekau 1156, Süsel 1158), construction is likely to begin before 1160. The church is a Romanesque stone building made of meter-thick rock walls. The 40 m high round tower with its cone helmet greets you far into the country. The settlers did the manual and tensioning services for the construction of the church in Neukirchen. But also the inhabitants of the neighboring Slavic estates, whether Christian or pagan, had to help. The field stones for the construction of the church were gathered from all sides, but there were also plenty of them: in the last ice age, these were pushed with huge glaciers from Norway and Sweden to northern Germany. And so the stones always “grow back” because the frost pushes them upwards. The lime that was poured between the stones comes from the nearby Segeberger Kalkberg and is actually gypsum. More: https://www.roundtowerchurches.net/de/deutschland-germany/neukirchen-2/

The church is a Romanesque fieldstone building, built from rock walls several meters thick. The round tower, with its conical roof, is 40 meters high and can be seen far into the country. The settlers provided manual labor and haulage services for the construction of the church in Neukirchen. But the residents of the neighboring Slavic estates, whether Christian or pagan, also had to help. The fieldstones for the construction of the church were collected from all sides, and there were plenty of them: in the last ice age, they were pushed from Norway and Sweden to northern Germany by huge glaciers. And so the stones always "grow back" because the frost pushes them upwards. The lime that was poured between the stones comes from the nearby Segeberg Kalkberg and is actually gypsum. In Neukirchen, the tower is certainly considered to have a defensive function. This is particularly due to the meter-thick walls in the tower area, the height of the windows and the circular wall holes that can still be seen today. More: https://www.roundtowerchurches.net/de/deutschland-germany/neukirchen-2/

The St. Johannis Church in Neukirchen dates from the 12th century and is one of the oldest churches in Schleswig-Holstein. It features a 17th century wooden pulpit that was built during the Thirty Years' War. The church includes a pastorate, a pastorate barn with a thatched roof and a pastorate garden with a stork's nest. These can be viewed from the access road, but are not open to the public.