A longing for lakes between Elbe and Baltic Sea
Ride on horseback or paddle into the blue
You will have dazzling kingfishers, trumpeting cranes and majestic white-tailed eagles for company in the Lauenburg Lakes Nature Park and in the Schaalsee region. Nature has found a breathing space here in the shadow of the former inner German border. You have the wonderful opportunity of observing the rare plant and animal species on horseback or from a canoe, either finding your own way or following a planned route. In autumn and spring, the lakes and fields serve as a resting place for several thousand birds – an awesome spectacle!
Along the Elbe
The Elbe runs through the south of the Duchy of Lauenburg, between Lauenburg and Geesthacht. You can tap into the beauty of this river landscape, the high banks of the Elbe and the splendid flood plains on foot or by riding down the Elbe cycle path. One day trip will take you to the old sailor town of Lauenburg, with its colourful timbered houses, castle and the ‘Kaiser Wilhelm’ paddle steamer. Another will lead to Geesthacht. Did you know that this was where Alfred Nobel invented dynamite?
Between Sachsenwald and old salt street
Idyllic, picturesque landscape in the Duchy of Lauenburg. Between the Elbe and the Baltic Sea, Hamburg and Lübeck, you can still experience pure country life. Wander through the Sachsenwald like the Prince of Bismarck once did when he received this beautiful piece of land as a gift from Emperor William I. The best places from which to explore the forest and its ancient tree population are Aumühle and Friedrichsruh, where you will also find the Bismarck Museum.
Alternatively, hop on your bike and head through dreamy villages and romantic towns to see stately homes and historic churches. Enjoy the undulating Lauenburg landscape, the island and cathedral town of Ratzeburg, and the folklore tales of Till Eulenspiegel in Mölln. Explore Geesthacht and Lauenburg or see what you can discover amongst the shady avenues.
For example, on the historical salt trade route Alte Salzstrasse. This is where waggoners used to transport the ‘white gold’ from the salt mine in Lüneburg to the Baltic Sea where it was shipped and where the fishermen used it to conserve their herring catches. Today, a cycle path extends along this route, for the most part following the Elbe-Lübeck Canal, past old locks and stone churches. The path takes you via Lauenburg an der Elbe, Mölln and Ratzeburg to the Hanseatic city of Lübeck. You should plan four days to complete the one hundred kilometres!
