Lüneburg Heath: round trip 7 days

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A sea of purple.

Round trip in Lüneburg Heath Nature Park

Enjoy this individual tour of the Lüneburg Heath Nature Park, and above all the two cycling days through the heart of the park, which is protected in particular. Discover the breathtaking diversity of this unique region, proudly presents the largest continuous heathland in Central Europe. Specially intense you can experience the colorfull August during the flowering time of the heath. Follow via GPS or map the various and varied bike trail through wide heaths, woods and marshes, along reefed riverbanks, through small cities and quaint town. You cycle through a gently rolling landscape, which has been shaped in the last ice age, over some newly paved, partly undeveloped field-, forest and meadow paths. In the central conservation area there might be some short distances on sandy roads.

1. day Arrival Hamburg-Bergedorf

Arrive early today to the river Elbe and enjoy the sweeping views of the shore and the river. The rest of the river landscape will quickly captivate you and you can look forward to a relaxing time at the Elbe.

2. day From the Elbe to Lüneburg 40 km

Enjoy the Ilmenau - bike path that leads you at a slight increase on the dam through the shallow marsh. Look forward to the modern ship lift Scharnebeck on the Elbe Lateral Canal, which was to its construction the largest ship lift and overcomes a height difference of 38 meters. In the accompanying exhibition hall the unique technical dimensions will be shown vividly. Definitively you should take a stop before you roll to the old salt-and Hanseatic City of Lüneburg. The undamaged medieval cityscape presents with the monumental mansions many stone of the rich past, which are impressively set in scene in the German Salt Museum.

3. day Lüneburg - Amelinghausen 42 km

This morning, you cycle through the woods and meadows of Ilmenau to the Lüneburg Heath Nature Park. It is gorgeous this landscape change: soft flat floodplain turn into the typical hilly landscape of the Lüneburg Heath. Small villages are lovingly embedded in the landscape as well as reet covered houses. In the afternoon you will marvel at the Oldendorfer necropolis, an extensive walkable grave complex with 5700 year old megalithic and barrows. Deepen the imposing impression in the accompanying archaeological museum, it shows clearly the long history of settlement and development of the entire region. From there you will cycle on small riverside paths around the Lopausee to be fast in Amelinghausen.

4. day Amelinghausen - Schneverdingen 44 km

Today be excited to enjoy heather without end, because you cycle in the central areal of the Lüneburg Heath Nature Park. Discover beautiful water mills, which were still operating till the 50s and were driven by the heath brooks. Again and again you will be trying to capture the beautiful colors of the Schwindebecker heath on film, but there will be other high-quality pictures for you, such as the "crazy house" in Bispingen where literally everything is upside down. After a worthwhile break in the secluded beer garden Hofgut Tütsberg on the edge of the central moors, you will cycle to the beautifully situated farm Möhr, which houses now the 'Alfred Toepfer Academy for Nature Conservation 'established and clearly documents the daily work for the preservation of the region. Just outside of Schneverdingen one last detour brings you to the large Pietzmoor where an exciting trail on narrow planks staircase leads around.

5. day Schneverdingen - Jesteburg 44 km

Today you spend much time in the nature reserve. You cycle through Niederhaverbeck directly in the romantic Heidedorf Wilsede that can be reached by foot, by bike or by horse-drawn carriage. Shepherds and their flocks Heidschnucken and extra rangers who are as competent advisory service and act as a conservationist Deepen the many impressions at Heide Museum Wilsede before the beautiful path leads you to Undeloh, the second picturesque village in the protected area. In the afternoon you roam large heathland. Follow the secluded creek Seeve and place in the afternoon a visit to a worthwhile stop in the art Bossard shortly before Jesteburg.

6. day Jesteburg - Hamburg-Bergedorf 39 km

You leave Jesteburg with its many thatched-roothouses on the Seeve bike path and cycle to the Filmmuseum in Bendestorf that documents the film technology of the postwar years. Cozy paths take you to the beautiful Horster Mühle before you come in Maschen to the impressive and largest marshalling yard in Europe, with a width of up to 700 m. In the afternoon you will discover Winsen at the Luhe with its lovely castle, stop for a break and look forward to the broad Elbe river, the beautiful starting-point of your tour.

7. day Hamburg-Bergedorf departure

It is difficult to leave, but the many facets of the diverse heathland will be long remembered.

Worth knowing about your Roundtrip in the Lüneburg Heath

Below you will find specific information about the Lüneburg Heath and surroundings. If you have further questions about this trip, you simply call us: Phone: 06421 – 886890.

Arrival by train

Hamburg can be reached by train from all major cities in Germany.
From Hamburg main station you have a direct bus connection to get to the hotel hourly. The bus stops right next to the hotel on the ferry. Current schedule information and price information can be found at:

Train schedule Deutsche Bahn

Hamburger Verkehrsverbund

Parking facilities at the hotel

At the hotel "Zollenspieker Fährhaus" there are sufficient parking spaces for the entire duration of your bike trip. Detailed information on parking at your hotel, you will receive together with the travel documents two weeks prior to departure.

Conditions of the cycle paths

The extensive landscapes of the natural park are developed by well signposted and mostly asphalted cycle paths, where you can easily glide. In the central nature reserve, the attractive routes lead as naturally as possible through the landscape, since the planning of the itineraries also took care to meet the protection requirements of the animal and plant world. Instead of wide asphalt paths, narrow trails lead across the sandy but hard soils typical of the Heidelandschaft. Depending on the weather, it can be even more comfortable to walk out of the saddle for 100 meters and push the bike- because this variety also contributes to the intensive experience of the varied landscape!

The stages are deliberately kept short, as this is the only way to get enough time and enjoy the special charisma of the Heidelandschaft.

Available rental bikes

If you would like a Velociped rental bike for the tour, we take it to your first hotel. You can choose between woman’s and men's bicycles either with 7-speed gear shift and coaster brake or 27-speed gear shift and freewheel and e-bikes. All women's bicycles have a low throughput and men's bikes are available in different frame sizes. The ladies' bicycles are suitable for all cyclists from 150 cm body size and the men's bikes from 165 cm. Please let us know your wishes when booking.

Available rental bikes

Cost which are not included in the travel price

A possibly applicable city tax and the ferry to/from the hotel Zollenspieker Fährhaus are not part of the travel price and therefore has to be paid locally. 

7 days hotline service

Just in case the bike chain breaks, flooding makes it impossible to continue your tour or any other nasty surprise: You can reach us seven days a week and we will do anything to help you as fast as possible.

Passport and visa requirements, health regulations

For EU citizens, there are no special passport or visa requirements and no health formalities to be considered for this trip.

Corona travel information:
Before booking your trip, please inform yourself about the measures in place to contain the Corona pandemic.

Information on current decisions of the German Federal Government can be found here:
https://www.bundesregierung.de/corona-these-rules-and-restrictions-apply

Current information on entry requirements to Germany can be found here:
https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/coronavirus

You can also find more information on our website at:
Corona virus and holiday planning

Travel insurance

The tour price already includes the statutory insolvency insurance. In addition, we recommend that you take out travel cancellation insurance upon receipt of your travel confirmation in order to protect yourself against financial disadvantages in the event of travel cancellation, interruption of travel, illness or accident.

Zollenspieker Fährhaus

The Zollenspieker Fährhaus is a popular excursion destination at the most southern point of Hamburg. 
You will find a small hotel, a spacious restaurant with fresh regional food, banquet hall, beautiful Elbe terrace and an idyllic beer garden. Very popular are the barge trips directly from the investor`s house. But also without going on board, everyone here gets a small holiday from everyday life. 

Hotel Zollenspieker Fährhaus

Ship lift Scharnebeck

The ship lift Scharnebeck is a remarkable technical theater, a large double vertical ship lift which can lift modern cargo ships to a height of 38 meters. The vertical boat lift was built in 1974 as the largest in the world. More than 500,000 visitors come each year to look how cargo boats and sport boats are lifted in two giant water troughs on their way through the Elbe Side Canel over the stage between Elbmarsch and Geest.

Ship lift Scharnebeck

German Salt Museum Lüneburg

Everybody knows salt! In a permanent exhibition the German Salt Museum brings visitors closer to the small white granule. Experience the salt-works-town or learn more about the region of Lüneburg and its projects.

German Salt Museum

Baroque Town Hall Lüneburg

An ensemble of individual buildings is the Lüneburger Town Hall Komplex. It tells 800 years of history, which today can be visited to a large extent.

Baroque Town Hall Lüneburg

Natural Park Lüneburg Heath

The Natural Park Lüneburger Heide invites you to an exciting discovery trip. Explore unique trees, bubbling springs, wide open landscapes and wonderful views.

Natural Park

Amelinghausen

This region offers you everything to switch off and relax. Enjoy the natural landscapes of the Lüneburger Heide and let yourself be pampered with the regional delicacies.

Amelinghausen

Heidschnucken Schneverdingen

The Heidschnucke - one of the landmarks of the Lüneburg Heath - is a small-grown sheep species. From May to October you can watch the Schnuckenausstrieb daily around 10.30am and the Schnuckeneintrieb at ca. 5.00pm at the Höpenstall Höpen (car park Heide-Kiosk).

Heidschnucken

Wilsede

The romantic town of Wilsede, which can only be reached by foot, by bike or by coach - motor vehicle traffic is not allowed in the nature reserve Lüneburger Heide - is located in the heart of this oldest nature reserve in Germany. Here you can experience the heath from its most beautiful side and during the heathland in late summer, several thousand visitors come to this small place, where only a small number of 40 inhabitants is at home.

Wilsede

St. Martin Kirche Jesteburg

The church is named after the bishop Martin of Tours, who in the middle of the winter, as an eighteen-year-old guard officer in Amiens, shared his cloak with a beggar, thus becoming the patron saint of the poor. In 2002 the town and church community celebrated the 800-year-old Anniversary of the first documentary mention of Jesteburg.

St. Martin Kirche

Largest railway yard Europe in Maschen

With a length of 7,000 meters and a maximum width of 700 meters, the marshalling yard in Maschen occupies an area of 280 hectares and thus becomes the largest marshalling yard in Europe.

During construction work, which began in June 1970, a total of three million cubic meters of peat and ten million cubic meters of sand were moved. The resulting excavation lakes now serve as a recreational area for the region.

The now more than 40 years old facilities are now in need of renovation - since 2009, the marshalling yard has been renovated and partly rebuilt. The 220 million euros invested in this project are intended to illuminate the plants by 2013.

Worth a visit is also the view from the bridge over the gigantic hostages - especially impressive in a sea of lights at night.

Railway yard Maschen

Castle Winsen (Luhe)

Winsen Castle on the River Luhe is the landmark of the city. The castle was mentioned for the first time in 1299, it was built around 1230. It had been the dormitory of Duchess Dorothea of Braunschweig-Lüneburg since 1593, daughter of the Danish King Christian III, widow of Duke William the Younger of Braunschweig-Lüneburg. After the death of the duchess in 1617 the castle became administrative seat. Today the castle is the seat of the magistrate.

Points of interest Winsen (Luhe)