Amt Ludwigslust-Land: Bog iron ore, forests and cycling tours
Accommodation in Amt Ludwigslust-Land
Cycling tours through the Griese Gegend and traces of bog iron ore history give Amt Ludwigslust-Land a distinctive profile. The 46-kilometre Bog Iron Ore Villages Tour leads through the Griese Gegend and connects Ludwigslust, Glaisin, Göhlen, Leussow, Picher, Warlow and other villages. It is intended as a day trip for experienced cyclists and combines nature and cultural experiences.
Discover the landscape and its history by bike
Other themed cycling routes lead around the bog iron ore sites and through the Kraaker and Jasnitzer forests. They combine experiences of the landscape with historical information. This lets you plan your tour not only according to the route, but also according to your interest in nature and regional history. Cycling maps are available from the Amt; confirm availability before your trip. Also check local route conditions before setting off.
Bog iron ore and regional architectural history
The local heritage includes the former use of bog iron ore as a building material. Göhlen is associated with early iron production; a reconstructed bloomery furnace is also part of this theme. In Warlow, clump-built elements and guided tours are among the features of the bog iron ore heritage. The availability of tours may vary. Together, these examples illustrate different facets of the subject: use of raw materials, historical production and construction methods.
The 46-kilometre tour is explicitly described as being for experienced cyclists. The district is accessible by regional rail via the stations in Rastow and SĂĽlstorf; services run towards Ludwigslust, Schwerin and Wismar. Check current timetables and connections before departure.
Ludwigslust as a distinctive cultural highlight
The wider travel destination of Ludwigslust adds a history of Baroque parks and urban development. The palace park covers around 120 hectares and is ideal for walks past meadows, bodies of water, and old and rare trees and ornamental shrubs. Laid out from 1731 to 1735, the park is supplied with water for its fountains and the cascades in front of the palace via a 28-kilometre canal. The canal was built from 1756 to 1760. The cascades themselves were made of sandstone between 1780 and 1785, based on designs by Bohemian sculptor Rudolf Kaplunger.
From the cascades, a sightline runs across the palace to the town church. Ludwigslust Palace is the former residence and the centrepiece of the late Baroque town plan. The palace museum displays rooms featuring 18th-century art. The town church is home to the approximately 350-square-metre altarpiece “The Annunciation to the Shepherds,” considered the largest altarpiece in Europe.
Arts and crafts and nature offer further things to explore in Ludwigslust. At the papier-mâché workshop in Palais Bülow, visitors can learn more about the tradition and try making souvenirs themselves. Tours about aristocratic domestic life are available there by prior arrangement. Natureum Ludwigslust, the only natural history museum in West Mecklenburg, is run by volunteers from an association and offers activities for adults and children about local nature. During the season from April to October, the association aims to provide opening hours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends and public holidays; contacting the museum in advance is recommended if you plan to visit on a particular date.
Discover more places in the Amt
Leussow, Warlow, Alt Krenzlin, Bresegard bei Eldena, Göhlen, Groß Laasch, Lübesse, Lüblow, Rastow, Sülstorf, Uelitz, Wöbbelin.
Go to the overview of the wider travel destination: Ludwigslust-Parchim.
