Hittbergen: Elbe Cycle Route and local history

Hittbergen and Barförde are located in the Elbe lowlands at the beginning of the Lower Saxon Elbe Valley Biosphere Reserve. Both districts lie on the Elbe Cycle Route, a long-distance cycling route considered particularly popular in the region. This means you can plan your stay around either the cycle route or local architectural history. If you are looking for accommodation in Hittbergen, you can first decide whether cycling or local history should be the focus. Check the latest conditions on the Elbe Cycle Route before setting out.

Cycling route and architectural history in Hittbergen

The old Dutch-style windmill in Hittbergen has been out of operation since 1961, now serves as a private residence, and can only be viewed from a distance. The neo-Gothic St. Martin’s Church was built onto a fortified medieval tower between 1872 and 1875. The medieval tower and the later neo-Gothic church building illustrate the different periods of construction.

The pulpit is flanked by five surviving figures from a former winged altar depicting the Virgin Mary. There is also an elaborate beamed ceiling that extends beneath the entire vault. St. Martin’s Church thus brings together architectural history and details of its furnishings.

More excursion ideas in the wider Lüneburg destination

The wider Lüneburg destination offers additional themes related to geology and early history. The erratic boulder circle near Breetze, in the Bleckede district, displays boulders as evidence of the Ice Age formation of the Elbe Urstromtal. It is freely accessible, and parking is available; check the latest access conditions before your visit. The megalithic tombs in Schieringer Forest between Barskamp and Walmsburg were built in the Neolithic period between 3000 and 2300 BC. A circular walking trail leads from Walmsburg village square to the tombs.

When choosing a route in the wider Lüneburg destination, the two circular trails can be distinguished by their length: the Königinnen-Weg is 11 kilometres long and runs around the heathland village of Amelinghausen. At Lopausee lake, the Lopaupark in Amelinghausen has a 2.2-kilometre circular trail for jogging, walking and Nordic walking. The distances given make the difference between the routes clear.

Other distinctive attractions include the Lüneburg Ship Lift in Scharnebeck, the largest ship lift of its kind in Germany, and the Biosphaerium Elbtalaue in Bleckede. The latter combines an aquarium landscape, live beavers and more than 1,000 m² of modern exhibition space. The wider Lüneburg destination therefore offers everything from archaeological and geological themes to technology and exhibitions. For an active option beyond technology and exhibitions, there is also the Scharnebeck Ropes Course: it offers climbing between platforms at heights of three to four metres and up to 15 metres, as well as a 435-metre zip-line course.

Discover more destinations: Wendisch Evern, Lüdersburg, Neu Garge, Dahlenburg, Amt Neuhaus, Bardowick, Reinstorf, Melbeck.

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Lüneburg.