Hamfelde: Nature, Historic Routes and Estate History

Hamfelde combines the Hahnheide landscape with historic routes and a long estate history. Around the village, you’ll find starting points for walks, cycling breaks and discoveries ranging from old roads to a viewpoint overlooking the nature reserve. The history of Hamfelder Park and the Waldeslust inn is also part of the village’s character.

The Hahnheide and Short Circular Walks

The Hasenberg forest car park in Hamfelde is an access point for walks in the Hahnheide. Stormarn’s largest nature reserve is characterised by a predominantly hilly woodland landscape with small valleys, streams and hollows. Three short circular walks are described as family-friendly options for an outing from Hamfelde; they are around three to four kilometres long. If you choose the Turmweg, you can take a shorter route to reach the Langer Otto observation tower. From its viewing platform, you can see across the entire Hahnheide.

The history of the roads can also be explored here. The Sommerweg runs through the Hahnheide: the unpaved section of a road dating from the 18th century that is listed as a historic monument. Nearby is the Hohenfelder Damm, a paved road from the same period that is also a protected monument. The Sommerweg runs alongside it. An outing here offers both woodland scenery and two distinct types of historic road.

Waldeslust: Livestock and a Cycling Break

The Waldeslust inn has been operating in Hamfelde since 1873. Galloway cattle, Duroc pigs, Moorschnucke sheep, ducks, chickens and geese are kept there in conditions appropriate to their needs. Waldeslust also raises trout and carp in its own spring-water and pond facilities. A 24-hectare animal enclosure adjoins the inn, and the grounds also include a children’s playground. These details give the place a distinctly agricultural character, without requiring visitors to follow a particular itinerary.

On the edge of the Hahnheide in Hamfelde, the inn is a terrace stop for cyclists on a cycling route. This is another way to explore the area: the terrace provides a possible rest stop, while the protected historic roads and the Hahnheide offer other focal points for a visit.

Traces of the Village’s History

Hamfelder Park was laid out as the garden of an estate after the mill ceased operating. Albert Ballin bought the Hamfelder Park estate in 1906. Together with the history of the inn, which has been here since 1873, this offers another way to explore Hamfelde’s past. Visitors who want to combine nature and culture can take in the historic sites alongside the Hahnheide’s trails, rather than focusing their stay on just one activity.

Stormarn as a Wider Travel Destination

Beyond Hamfelde, Stormarn offers its own regional setting. The region lies in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region between Hamburg and Lübeck and is characterised by woodland and moorland landscapes. Walking options include short and longer circular routes as well as the Stormarnweg and the Way of St. James. There are more than 20 circular cycling routes; you can also download GPS tracks for an extensive network of cycling circuits. The BahnRadWege routes follow the alignments of three former railway lines through Stormarn’s landscapes. A more unusual experience combines cycling with a mystery on the BahnRadWeg B: the “Postzugraub auf der Staatsbahntrasse” crime trail takes you through a fictional historical investigation.

Stormarn’s cultural attractions also have their own appeal. Ahrensburg Castle was completed in 1585 and has served continuously as a museum since 1955.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Bad Oldesloe, Witzhave, Barsbüttel, Brunsbek, Hamberge, Reinbek, Oststeinbek, Reinfeld.

For the wider travel overview: Stormarn.