Discover Sassenburg: Moorland, heath and water

Sassenburg lies on the edge of the Lüneburg Heath. Forests, heathland, moors and waterways shape the area’s natural surroundings. The Great Moor (Großes Moor) is especially illustrative: visitors can observe peat extraction there as well as the landscape. Extensive hiking trails offer another way to explore Sassenburg. Nature, peat production and outdoor activity are different options to focus on during your stay.

Experience the moor in two ways

The moor railway offers an approximately two-and-a-half-hour exploration trip on a narrow-gauge train through Sassenburg’s moorland. The journey starts and ends at Im Hagen in Westerbeck. The covered passenger carriages travel into the Great Moor and back at around 6 km/h. The slow pace and manageable duration give the trip a different character from a hike.

During the journey, visitors learn how peat is extracted and how the flora and fauna have adapted to conditions in the moor. At one stop, a boardwalk leads to a restoration pool and a peat-cutting site. An observation platform is located by NABU’s restoration and peat moss pools. Check the moor railway’s seasonal operating details before your trip.

Hiking trails and local character

Those who prefer to get around on foot will find extensive hiking trails in Sassenburg. The Great Sassenburg Loop connects all the localities and passes through the Great Moor nature reserve near Charlottenhof. The circular route thus links different aspects of the municipality with a stretch through the moorland.

Neudorf-Platendorf is also shaped by its connection to the moor: the village is still known as a moorland settlement. At the same time, Lower Saxony’s longest straight village thoroughfare runs through it. These two features tell different stories about the village’s character—one points to the settlement in the moor, while the other highlights the remarkable length and straightness of the thoroughfare.

Water activities at Lake Bernsteinsee

Lake Bernsteinsee in Sassenburg-Stüde offers another facet. It lies on the Elbe Lateral Canal, surrounded by forests, heathland and moorland. Activities offered at the lake include swimming, water skiing, wakeboarding and stand-up paddleboarding. Alongside hiking trails and the moor railway ride, water sports therefore provide a distinct focus for a trip. When choosing where to stay, you can consider whether you would rather explore the moor or make activities on the water the main focus.

Sassenburg and the wider Gifhorn destination

The wider Gifhorn destination, which includes the district, encompasses heathland, forests, moorland, rivers and lakes. The district is also home to the Drömling UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Its cycling infrastructure is varied, too: the cycle network includes around 700 kilometres of recreational cycling routes, plus around 550 kilometres of everyday routes with connecting stretches. Around 400 signposted nodes can be combined for personalised route planning. This regional information adds context to Sassenburg without equating the locality’s landscape and offerings with those of the entire district.

A cultural addition to the wider Gifhorn destination is the International Wind and Watermill Museum in Gifhorn, which features more than 13 full-size mills from around the world. You can use these experiences to guide your search towards what matters most to you during your stay.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Stüde, Bergfeld, Emmen, Brechtorf, Steinhorst, Behren, Wilsche, Hillerse.

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Gifhorn.