| Trave | |
|---|---|
 Mouth of the Trave on the Baltic Sea | |
 The Trave in eastern Schleswig-Holstein | |
| Location | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Schleswig-Holstein |
| Cities | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Gießelrade,Ahrensbök,Ostholstein,Schleswig-Holstein |
| Mouth | |
• location | Bay of Lübeck (Baltic Sea) 53°57′39″N10°53′14″E / 53.96083°N 10.88722°E /53.96083; 10.88722 |
| Length | 124 km (77 mi) |
| Basin size | 2,676 km2 (1,033 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Clever Au,Schwartau |
| • right | Beste,Wakenitz,Stepenitz |
| Waterbodies | Wardersee,Pötenitzer Wiek,Dassower See |
TheTrave (German pronunciation:[ˈtʁaːvə]ⓘ) is ariver inSchleswig-Holstein,Germany. It is approximately 124 kilometres (77 mi) long, running from its source near the village of Gießelrade inOstholstein toTravemünde, where it flows into theBaltic Sea. It passes throughBad Segeberg,Bad Oldesloe, andLübeck, where it is linked to theElbe–Lübeck Canal.[1] It is navigable for sea-going vessels from the Baltic to the Lübeck ports.[2] TheHerren Tunnel crosses the Trave, as do numerous bridges, and a ferry connects Travemünde withPriwall. Tributaries of the Trave include theWakenitz and theStepenitz.
The Trave rises in Gießelrade (a village inOstholstein), whence it flows first southwesterly through theWardersee toBad Segeberg and then further south toBad Oldesloe. There it bends eastward to just south ofReinfeld, flowing pastHamberge andMoisling [de;sv] (a district ofLübeck) to reach Lübeck.[3]
TheElbe–Lübeck Canal joins the Trave from the south shortly before the river reaches Lübeck. In medieval Lübeck the river was transformed according to the needs of shipping and the town's defense, making the Old Town into an island. South of theLübeck Cathedral the channel forks in several directions, with the original channel known as the Town Trave. The Lübeck town moat branches off to the west, and the Canal Trave separates eastward from the Town Trave's course and runs in the former bed of theWakenitz to the northeast side of the Old Town. The modern Wakenitz joins the Canal Trave from the east, and the three channels recombine at the north end of the Old Town island.[4]
North of Lübeck the seaports begin. Between the Old Town andTeerhof Island [de] is Lübeck's commercial port. TheSchwartau enters the river from the north here, nearBad Schwartau. On the peninsula between the Schwartau and the Trave is the Slavic castle ofLiubice. The river passes theSchellbruch [de] nature preserve and flows aroundHerreninsel [de]. Here the city ofTravemünde sits on the western shore. The Trave widens into theTravefördeestuary between Herreninsel and the mouth in theBay of Lübeck, including thePötenitzer Wiek and theDassower See (fed by theStepenitz). The river then flows out between Travemünde and thePriwall Peninsula into theBaltic Sea.[4][5]
In the early Middle Ages, the upper reaches of the Trave (together with theSchwentine) formed part of theLimes Saxoniae and the western boundary ofWagria.[6] In the Old Town of Lübeck the river forms part of the medieval town fortifications. The lower reaches today form the border betweenSchleswig-Holstein andMecklenburg-Vorpommern.
The course of the lower Trave arose in the lastice age (theWeichselian glaciation), whenglacier flows carved deepfjords into what is now the Baltic Sea coast.[7] Since the end of the ice age the groove communicates with the sea; its lower end is called theTraveförde (Trave Fjord).
The area surrounding the course of the Trave is designated as a preserved "flora and fauna habitat" by theEuropean UnionHabitats Directive. The river runs through or beside a series of nature preserves and undeveloped lands, and its basin is home to a variety of rare and endangered animal species. The area is a popular destination for hiking, cycling, canoeing and fishing. The GermanFriends of Nature organization declared the Trave its German Riverscape of the Year for 2016/17.[8][9]
Media related toTrave at Wikimedia Commons
