Hillerse on the Oker: Nature, Canoe Trip and Cycling Loop
Accommodation in Hillerse
Hillerse lies on the Oker, which winds along the municipality. Between Hillerse and Meinersen lies the Okeraue bei Volkse protected area. It includes a largely natural stretch of the Oker Valley and is an important breeding habitat for birds.
On the Water and by Bike
Canoeists will find a landing point and an overnight stop in Hillerse on the Oker. An Oker paddling route can begin in Hillerse and runs 11 kilometres to the boathouse in Seershausen. The starting point, route length and destination help you get a clear idea of the trip; check the latest route and landing information before setting off.
The Tankorte Runde Okeraue trail from Hillerse is about 25 kilometres long and connects several designated stops. The 11 kilometres refer to the paddling route to Seershausen, while around 25 kilometres refers to the cycling loop from Hillerse. This gives you two distinct ways to explore—on the water and by bike—each with its own route and distance.
Local Landmarks and Technology
St. Viti Church is in the village centre on Am Brink and is one of the town’s oldest landmarks. The Gifhorn-Hillerse Model Railway Club operates a 60-square-metre H0 model railway layout with around 550 metres of track. A historic local landmark and a technology-focused model railway complement the river and route themes with local history and model making.
In the Wider Gifhorn Destination
Gifhorn District encompasses heathland, forests, moorland, rivers and lakes. The district is also home to the Drömling UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The scale changes when it comes to cycling, too: Gifhorn District’s cycle network includes around 700 kilometres of recreational cycling routes, plus around 550 kilometres of everyday routes with connecting trails. Around 400 signposted junctions can be combined to plan individual routes. Unlike the approximately 25-kilometre Tankorte Runde from Hillerse, these figures describe a regional network and its route-planning options.
The Ornithological Walking Trail runs around Tankumsee; information boards along the trail introduce visitors to the birds found at the lake. Compared with the Okeraue bei Volkse, it offers a different way to experience nature: here, a circular trail with bird information boards; there, a natural stretch of the Oker Valley that is an important breeding habitat for birds.
Culture and wildlife also feature in the wider destination: the International Wind and Watermill Museum Gifhorn has 13 full-size mills from around the world. At the OTTER-ZENTRUM HankensbĂĽttel, visitors can observe otters, badgers, stoats, stone martens, polecats, mink and pine martens in enclosures modelled on their natural habitats. The GroĂźes Moor Moor Railway travels into the GroĂźes Moor in the municipality of Sassenburg in covered carriages specially adapted for passenger transport; it runs at a speed of six kilometres per hour. Services are subject to the season and weather.
The 9.5-hectare BernsteinSee, which reaches a depth of up to 16 metres, is in Sassenburg-StĂĽde, right beside the Elbe-Seitenkanal, in a landscape of forest, heathland and moorland. Its setting and the wider landscape complement the river and floodplain themes you can discover in Hillerse.
Choose the Right Focus for Your Trip
This way, you can match your preferred location to your travel plans and tailor your accommodation search accordingly.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Abbesbüttel, Schönewörde, Gifhorn, Vollbüttel, Isenbüttel, Tappenbeck, Wahrenholz, Steinhorst
Back to the main travel overview: Gifhorn.
