Bad Segeberg – Karl May-Spiele, Kalkberg and bat cave

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: August 2026 | Bad Segeberg in Schleswig-Holstein is perhaps best known for two rather unusual attractions: the large Karl May-Spiele that transform Kalkberg into the Wild West every summer – and a more than two-kilometer-long cave where thousands of bats hibernate.

We came here during a trip to northern Germany, primarily to experience the Karl May-Spiele. It didn't really go according to plan. We had managed to find a day when there was no performance. However, we had more time to discover Kalkberg and the fascinating bat cave.

Bad Segeberg in northern Germany

Bad Segeberg is located in Schleswig-Holstein, about 25 kilometers west of Lübeck. The town has a population of just over 19,000 and is a health resort, but for many Germans the name is primarily associated with Karl May Games.

As we approached Bad Segeberg, we saw signs with Winnetou and advertisements for the performances. We ourselves had little knowledge of Karl May at the time – but in Germany his stories are almost cult.

Karl May Games – The Wild West in the middle of Germany

Karl May (1842–1912) was one of Germany's most widely read authors and wrote adventure novels that often took place in places he himself had never visited when he wrote about them.

The most famous are the stories about Winnetou and Old Shatterhand, which takes place in a romanticized and fictional American Wild West.

Since 1952, Karl May's stories have been performed every summer at the large outdoor arena at Kalkberg in Bad Segeberg. Here, the audience is treated to a huge spectacle with horses, stunts, explosions and fire – all with the dramatic cliff walls of Kalkberg as a backdrop.

We missed the Karl May games...

So we had planned to see the performance. The only problem was that Karl May-Spiele wasn't being performed on the day we got there... Curtain. Or perhaps rather no curtain at all, since it's an outdoor theater...

We had to settle for a peek into the arena from above. There we met a Swedish family who had seen the show and were very enthusiastic, so we at least realized what we had missed.

Tips: In other words, if you want to see Karl May-Spiele, it's a good idea to do something we obviously didn't do – Check game days and book tickets in advance.

Kalkberg – the mountain in the middle of the city

Even without a performance, Limestone worth a visit. The mountain rises about 91 meters above sea level and has had a great importance in the history of Bad Segeberg. In 1134, the Holy Roman Emperor Lothar III had the castle built Siegesburg on the mountain. Around the castle, the settlement that eventually became Segeberg grew.

There is also a small Swedish connection here. During the Thirty Years' War, Swedish troops destroyed Siegesburg in 1644. According to Bad Segeberg's own history, this was because the castle was used as headquarters by a guerrilla group that attacked the Swedes' supply lines.

After the castle was destroyed, gypsum mining intensified in Kalkberg. The mountain was originally about 110 meters high, but through mining it was reduced to its current height of about 91 meters.

From Nazi arena to Karl May games

Even the open-air theatre itself has a history that is considerably darker than today's family entertainment. The arena was built between 1934 and 1937 during the Nazi era and was called Nordmark festival site. It was inaugurated by Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels in 1937 and was used, among other things, for National Socialist mass events.

After World War II, the arena was given new uses and the first Winnetou performances were staged in 1952. From there, the tradition of the Karl May-Spiele developed, which still attracts large audiences every summer.

Kalkberghöhle – the cave under the mountain

But Kalkberg has another surprise. Under the mountain is Limestone cave, an extensive cave system that was discovered in 1913. The cave is over two kilometers long and is primarily known as a very important wintering site for bats.

When we were here we took a guided tour down into the cave. The temperature is around nine degrees all year round, so even in the middle of summer it can be nice to have an extra sweater. The strangest thing is of course to imagine what happens here when the visitors have disappeared for the season: then the cave is taken over by thousands of overwintering bats.

Thousands of bats overwinter here

Kalkberghöhle is one of northern Europe's most important winter quarters for bats. Several species use the cave for their winter hibernation. Therefore, the cave is not open to regular visits during the winter. Guided visits take place during the part of the year when the bats are not using it as a winter home.

That's why we were able to walk around the cave without encountering any sleeping bats. Still, it was fascinating to see the environment where they spend the winter.

We were not allowed to take photos during the cave tour itself, so some of our photos from the visit come from Noctalis and official footage instead.

Noctalis – a world of bats

In connection with Kalkberghöhle there is Noctalis, an experience center entirely dedicated to bats. Here you can learn more about how bats navigate, what they eat, how they hibernate and what role they play in nature. When we visited Noctalis, we found it educational and above all good for families with children – but we adults actually learned a lot too.

Owls hunting outside the cave

We still remember one detail from our visit. Right above the entrance to the bat cave, several owls were sitting, watching. It almost felt a bit strategically placed considering who usually flies in and out of the cave…

We managed to capture some of the owls on film, and they certainly looked like they were waiting for dinner.

More to see in Bad Segeberg

If you have more time, there is also Grosser Segeberger See, the large lake right next to the city. There are walking trails here and the opportunity to combine the sights around Kalkberg with a quieter time by the water.

Bad Segeberg is not a big tourist town with lots of attractions. But the combination is all the more special: a historic rock outcropping, Wild West shows with horses and explosions and an underground winter hotel for thousands of bats. That's actually quite a lot of oddities packed into a small area.

More to see in northern Germany

Bad Segeberg is well located if you are travelling around Schleswig-Holstein. As you continue your journey, you can, for example, visit:

• Husum and Sankt-Peter Ording
• Lübeck
• Timmendorfer beach