Schwentine

Schwentine
The Schwentine near Kiel
Location	Holstein,  Germany
Reference no.	DE: 9614
Basin features
Main source	Bungsberg
River mouth	between the Kiel districts of Neumühlen-Dietrichsdorf and Wellingdorf into the Kiel Fjord 54°19′39″N 10°11′10″E / 54.3275°N 10.18611°E / 54.3275; 10.18611
River system	Schwentine
Landmarks	Cities: Kiel Small towns: Eutin, Plön, Preetz, Schwentinental Villages: Malente
Tributaries	Left: Alte Schwentine Right: Spolsau
Waterbodies	Lakes: Stendorfer See, Sibbersdorfer See, Großer Eutiner See, Kellersee, Dieksee, Langensee, Behler See, Höftsee, Großer Plöner See, Stadtsee, Schwanensee, Kleiner Plöner See, Kronsee, Fuhlensee, Lanker See, Kirchsee Reservoirs: Rosensee
Physical characteristics
Length	62 km

The Schwentine is a river in the North German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It is approximately 62 kilometres long and rises on the hill of Bungsberg, the highest point in the state, near the village of Kasseedorf in Ostholstein. It then runs from its source to Kiel where it flows into the Kiel Fjord, a bay of the Baltic Sea. It passes through several lakes, including the Großer Plöner See, the largest lake in Schleswig-Holstein, as well as the towns Eutin, Malente, Plön, Preetz and Kiel.

The Schwentine is of great importance in the supply of drinking water managed by the Kiel Utilities Company. The Schwentine Valley Waterworks (Wasserwerk Schwentinetal) has been located near Klausdorf since about 1900.

Although the Schwentine valley gives an exceptionally natural impression along virtually its entire length, it is closely linked to the industrialisation of the city of Kiel. Two hydroelectric plants, now classed as cultural monuments, (one on the Rosensee) were laid out by the shipyard founder, Bernhard Howaldt, and are still in operation today.

The once great mill industry no longer exists today. The old Howaldt Shipyard (that was merged into the firm of HDW), of which only the old metal foundry remains, was given a new lease of life as an industrial museum. Thanks to various sponsor programmes (e. g. the EU's URBAN II programme) the region around the Schwentine estuary has gradually lost its character as an industrial wasteland.