Vacation in the Duchy of Lauenburg and Stormarn
In the Duchy of Lauenburg and Stormarn, the wind plays with the high treetops and pampers us with mild freshness. Along endless hiking trails, relaxing cycle routes and varied discovery routes, this region sets its own standards for a dream vacation between the North Sea and Baltic Sea.
Between the Elbe, Hamburg and Lübeck, the north is excitingly different. Here you can go canoeing instead of on a cutter. Here you walk through the forest instead of the mudflats. Here the wind blows over wild and romantic lakes instead of the sea. The many wonderful hiking and cycling trails lead through enchanted nature, past nature parks, protected areas, quaint farm cafés and lookout towers. Historic towns in the Duchy of Lauenburg invite you to travel back in time and meet Till Eulenspiegel. One of the most famous places in Stormarn is the town of Ahrensburg with its castle. If you want to discover the special magic of this vacation region with all its sights in south-eastern Schleswig-Holstein, you should do it in slow motion. Come to rest, switch off completely, take a deep breath - that works particularly well here. Whether just for a few days or for a long break from everyday life, anyone looking for travel bliss, variety and relaxation will find what they are looking for!
Typical of the Duchy of Lauenburg and Stormarn
Superlatives in the south-east of Schleswig-Holstein - did you know? The Sachsenwald, for example, is the largest contiguous forest area in Schleswig-Holstein and is located just outside Hamburg. The oldest nature park in the state is the Nature park Lauenburgische Seen. There are over 40 bodies of water in the region around Ratzeburg and Mölln. Finally, the Brenner Moor in Stormarn boasts the largest inland salt marsh. So what travelers will find in abundance are relaxation and outdoor activities.
Cycling
The Duchy of Lauenburg is a cyclist's paradise with varied cycle paths along the Elbe and through picturesque villages. Travelers can explore water-rich towns and shady avenues in the diverse landscape with over 40 glistening lakes scattered throughout the Lauenburg forests. One example of this is the "Old Salt Route (Alte Salzstraße)" long-distance cycle path, which connects the Hanseatic cities of Lüneburg and Lübeck and strings together a number of Schleswig-Holstein sights like pearls. This approximately 90-kilometer-long trade route was used in the Middle Ages to transport the precious salt over sandy paths. Nowadays, cyclists have the opportunity to travel along this historic route and explore the past.
Water fun
In the Duchy of Lauenburg, water plays a major role in shaping the surrounding landscape. From the Elbe in the south to the Elbe-Lübeck-Canal, which is over 100 years old, to the more than 40 lakes, the region invites you to enjoy a variety of water sports activities and relaxing moments by the water. Explore the waters by canoe, glide across the water in a sailing boat, experience the idyllic nature from a pedal boat or enjoy a refreshing swim in one of the clear lakes. Or take a boat trip on the Elbe and the Elbe-Lübeck-Canal, past the picturesque towns and landscapes of Schleswig-Holstein.
Hiking
A multitude of hiking trails invite you to explore the landscape shaped by the Ice Age - with its rolling hills and wide valleys, charming towns and villages as well as a variety of excursion destinations and sights. Whether it's a leisurely stroll through the old town of Bad Oldesloe or a tour through picturesque nature reserves, including the Höltigbaum nature reserve, the Ahrensburger Tunneltal nature reserve, the Hahnheide, the Billetal or the Brenner Moor. Experience idyllic hikes along babbling brooks, protected landscapes, lakeshores and mystical Moors.
Where the "white gold" was once transported from Lüneburg to the Baltic Sea, holidaymakers can now explore the varied landscape between Hamburg and Lauenburg by bike through the Duchy of Lauenburg travel region. The Old Salt Route (Alte Salzstraße) long-distance cycle path is around 90 kilometers long and runs along the Elbe-Lübeck-Canal via Lauenburg and Mölln to Travemünde.
An untouched natural landscape of rare beauty awaits you in the Billetal in Stormarn. This protected region was created by meltwater during the last ice age and today borders the Sachsenwald forest, the largest contiguous forest area in Schleswig-Holstein. Many rare animal and plant species find their original habitat here. With a bit of luck, you can observe special bird species on an excursion to the Billetal.
In Mölln, Lauenburg, you can also sense centuries gone by behind the clinker half-timbering. The town's most famous resident, jester Till Eulenspiegel, is remembered time and again with small details and large-scale festivals. In a charming half-timbered house dating back to 1582, visitors to the Eulenspiegel Museum can discover the multifaceted personality of the famous German prankster Till Eulenspiegel in the Duchy of Lauenburg.
Schleswig-Holstein's largest inland salt marsh is located north of Bad Oldesloe in the Stormarn vacation region, on the banks of the River Trave. The high concentration of salt in the water is similar to the North Sea in some places. Plants that normally only grow near the coast thrive here, such as beach trident and marsh samphire. Numerous bird species can be observed during a hike. An idyllic wooden boardwalk leads along the path, which is equipped with 10 stations to discover new and interesting facts.
A must among the excursion destinations in the Duchy of Lauenburg: the Elbe Shipping Museum in Lauenburg/Elbe presents an interactive exhibition under the motto "Man-Model-Machine", which sheds light on the history of shipping and shipbuilding over the last 1,000 years. The exhibition offers themed worlds of experience such as the bottom of the Elbe at low tide as well as an extensive collection of information on ship types, propulsion systems and models. Special highlights include the treasure trove of ship propulsion systems with steam engines and diesel engines as well as the historic paddle steamer Kaiser Wilhelm, which offers excursions on the Elbe to bring past shipping to life.
Discover fictitious criminal cases on exciting bike tours in Stormarn and solve mysteries along the way. A unique experience that combines cycling and detective work. Collect clues along the route, solve the case with your phone and explore the well-known BahnRadWege trails. Immerse yourself in the combination of cycle tour and detective adventure that makes these tours so special!
The island town of Ratzeburg is surrounded by four lakes: the Großer Ratzeburger See, the Großer Küchensee, the Kleiner Küchensee and the Domsee. A network of hiking and cycling trails, so typical of the Duchy of Lauenburg, stretches along the island and around the lakes, lined with numerous bathing and rest areas - a paradise for activities and relaxation in equal measure.
Reinfeld (Holstein) in the northern part of the Stormarn district impresses with its picturesque location. Over the years, Reinfeld (Holstein) has made a name for itself as the "carp town". Every year from October onwards, gourmets from all over northern Germany, as well as holidaymakers, flock here to sample the delicious fish in the numerous restaurants.
Excursion tips worth seeing in the Duchy of Lauenburg and Stormarn
The Hahnheide, a large nature reserve covering around 1,500 hectares, is located in Stormarn Switzerland near Trittau. Majestic old-growth stands of pine, beech and spruce thrive here in all their glory. The forest area is overlooked by the Lange Otto, a lookout tower from which you can enjoy an impressive panoramic view of the Stormarn region. This 27-metre-high tower sits enthroned on the summit of the Großer Hahnheider Berg, making it a literal highlight of the Schleswig-Holstein vacation region.
The Sachsenwald covers an area of around 70 square kilometers and is the largest contiguous forest area in the Duchy of Lauenburg, and even more: in the whole of Schleswig-Holstein! The forest extends to the border of the Stormarn district, is crossed by the Bille river and its tributaries and is characterized by a variety of tree species such as spruce, pine, beech and oak. A network of wonderful hiking trails invites you to discover the beauty of nature in the Duchy of Lauenburg on relaxing walks.
A unique sight and popular excursion destination in Stormarn: with its four towers, the white Ahrensburg Castle impressively displays the special features of the Renaissance style and also offers exquisite furniture, high stucco ceilings and Meissen porcelain inside. The museum exhibits historical treasures and tells the stories of times gone by.
In addition to numerous castles and manor houses, the Schleswig-Holstein district of Stormarn also has some very special galleries to offer art enthusiasts. One of these is the Trittau Watermill, which hosts exhibitions by young and contemporary artists within its historic walls.
Built in the Renaissance style, Reinbek Castle served Duke Adolf I as a hunting residence and is still one of the most attractive sights in the vacation region of the Duchy of Lauenburg. Regular art and cultural events enliven the historic halls to this day. The castle is located in the middle of a park with majestic old trees by the picturesque mill pond and is the perfect starting point for hiking and cycling tours through the Sachsenwald forest.
The Elbe-Lübeck-Canal was opened in 1900. With a length of 61 kilometers, it provides a connection between the Baltic Sea via the Trave and the Elbe near Lauenburg. In summer, the Duchy of Lauenburg transforms its Elbe-Lübeck-Canal into an eventful cultural space and a dynamic excursion destination that shows a completely new face every day. 90 events from the fields of music, theater and visual arts surprise guests, who can paddle from scene to scene by canoe.
In the Middle Ages, the two large forest areas of the Duchy of Lauenburg and Stormarn were still one large forest, the "Hohe Heide". Today, the Forest nature reserve Hahnheide in the north and the Sachsenwald in the south separate several villages, farmland and a district border. The smaller natural forest in Stormarn is hilly and varied due to the glacial moraine landscape: steep slopes and wetlands make hiking and exploring a special adventure for travelers, cyclists and hiking enthusiasts. In good weather, the "Langer Otto" observation tower is particularly worth a climb. From this lofty height, the expanse of the forest-green regions between Hamburg and Lübeck can be viewed particularly well. A large part of this forest wealth can be found in Lauenburg's Sachsenwald forest. At 70 square kilometers, it is the largest closed forest area in Schleswig-Holstein and an ideal excursion destination for anyone who appreciates active recreation .
Theflora and fauna of the Duchy of Lauenburg and Stormarn vacation region form a cosmos all of their own. Moors in Stormarn are damp and mysterious primeval forests. Salty springs in the Brenner Moor attract plants that otherwise only thrive near the coast. Their names are as unfamiliar as they are poetic: milkweed, salt scale kidney vetch and beach trident. Rare kingfishers, bluethroats and even the odd nightingale breed in their thickets. Near Ahrensburg, the Stellmoor, with its green and moist plant carpets, fills a so-called glacial channel, a valley that was carved into the landscape by glacial water tens of thousands of years ago. Further north, the renaturalized Nienwohlder Moor attracts rare species of birds and dragonflies.
