Handewitt: Nature, Cycling Routes and Village History

Handewitt appeals to travelers who enjoy spending time outdoors while also discovering local history. Pastureland, cycling routes and cultural attractions offer a variety of experiences. If your travel group has different interests, you can plan your days around nature, physical activity or village history.

Explore Pastureland and Trails

Schäferhaus Foundation Land features a semi-open, savanna-like pasture landscape where Konik horses and Galloway cattle live. An extensive network of hiking and cycling trails leads through the landscape; there is also an approximately eight-kilometer circular route for horse riding.

Handewitt’s landscape also offers opportunities for hiking, walking and cycling. The three themed routes of RadRundUm Flensburg extend into Handewitt. The forest landscapes along the routes include the conifer-rich Handewitter Forst. Themed stations cover nature, ecology, history and culture: if you want to discover more than just the route while cycling, you’ll find plenty to explore here.

The Ochsenweg offers a different scale: this historic overland route, around 245 kilometers long, connected Denmark with northern Germany and is now used for cycling tours focused on the region’s natural and cultural history. Its historical importance and its present-day focus on cycling give it a character of its own alongside the themed routes of RadRundUm Flensburg.

Village History, Church and Crafts

The Handewitt Village Museum is housed in a former schoolhouse on Kirchberg. It is opposite a protected historic church, which is also open to visitors. Objects and tools from the home, crafts and agriculture offer insights into different aspects of everyday life. The museum is run by a local support association; its exhibits explore regional history and everyday culture.

A special museum project, “From Grain to Bread,” brings traditional bread baking back to life. The connection between agriculture, crafts and bread brings aspects of everyday history to life. Handewitt Church also tells a story spanning many centuries: its history stretches back more than 800 years. The present building stands on the foundations of an earlier church and preserves its medieval tower.

Inside the church, different design elements come together: colorful stained-glass windows, a wooden barrel vault in a Neo-Gothic style and a Romanesque granite baptismal font from the 12th century. The church thus offers a cultural focus of its own, alongside the collections of the village museum.

Local Food and Practical Information

At the farm café at the Porzellanbörse, enjoy homemade cakes and gateaux indoors or on the courtyard terrace. There are walking trails through Handewitter Forst in the Lake District around Flensburg; you can also travel by bicycle, car or bus. If you plan to take the bus, please check the current service. The trails around Handewitt are also used for walking and horse riding.

More to Explore in the Wider Schleswig-Flensburg Destination

The wider Schleswig-Flensburg destination brings together more cultural and natural attractions. Haithabu and the Danewerk have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since June 2018; more than 25 kilometers of the Danewerk rampart are still preserved. The historic memorial site and Idstedt Museum explore German-Danish history around the uprising of 1848 and the Battle of Idstedt. These sites offer a different historical focus from Handewitt Church and the village museum.

The wider Schleswig-Flensburg destination also offers a range of options for nature lovers. Geltinger Birk covers 773 hectares and is the largest nature reserve in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg; it has well-maintained trails and guided walks with information about its flora and fauna. More than 130 bird species can be observed on Holnis, including around 65 breeding species. Guided nature walks and birdwatching thus offer different experiences alongside the forest, cycling and cultural attractions that define Handewitt.

Discover more destinations: Jarplund, Schleswig, Langballig, Mittelangeln, Eggebek, Husby, Oeversee, Glücksburg.

Back to the destination overview: Schleswig-Flensburg.