Müssen: Sculpture Park and Regional Discoveries

The Müssen Sculpture Park is a cultural destination in Müssen. A signposted entrance begins opposite the address Am Sande 24. This gives you a specific cultural attraction to include in your travel plans. The events programme may change, so check in advance which dates fall within your travel period.

Landscape and Outdoor Activities in the Duchy of Lauenburg

The wider travel destination of the Duchy of Lauenburg offers its own distinctive landscape: 26 percent of the district is covered by forest, and it has 48 lakes. It is also home to the Sachsenwald, the largest contiguous forest in Schleswig-Holstein. The Lauenburg Lakes Nature Park lies at the heart of the duchy. Covering an area of about 35 by 17 kilometres, it provides habitats for kingfishers, white-tailed eagles and cranes, among other species.

The nature park has been a protected area for visitors to explore since 1960. Visitor facilities include hiking trails, observation towers, educational trails and places to stop and rest. You can hike, cycle, canoe and swim in the refreshing forest lakes. Four signposted cycling routes offer different ways to explore the landscape by bike. At the observation tower by Lake Mechow, the focus is on watching waterbirds; with a little luck, you may also spot a white-tailed eagle there.

Cycling Routes and Waterways

The approximately 40-kilometre Lakes Cycling Tour is a circular route through the Lauenburg Lakes Nature Park, starting in the cathedral and island town of Ratzeburg. The Old Salt Route offers a different scale: this long-distance cycling route, around 90 kilometres long, follows the Elbe–Lübeck Canal and connects Lauenburg and Mölln with Travemünde. This means you can choose between a circular ride starting in Ratzeburg and a longer point-to-point route.

The waterways offer perspectives of their own. Lake Schaalsee is the deepest clear-water lake in northern Germany; its deepest point lies 72 metres below the water’s surface. A canoe trip can take you from Lake Schaalsee via the Lauenburg lakes and the Wakenitz to Lübeck. Local navigation restrictions may vary, so check the rules for your planned trip. The Elbe, the more than 100-year-old Elbe–Lübeck Canal and the duchy’s more than 40 lakes invite you to enjoy sports and recreation in, on and by the water. Sailing is possible on Lake Ratzeburg.

Culture, Nature Education and Regional Flavours

The Lauenburg Lakes Nature Park also offers guided excursions with experts, exploring the district’s flora, fauna and cultural history. Check the dates for the year of your trip. In Mölln, the Uhlenkolk Environmental Centre offers nature education and experiences for kindergartens, school classes, families and adults; specific visitor arrangements may change.

For culture lovers, the Kultursommer am Kanal, held every summer, provides a distinctive highlight: the cultural festival lasts four weeks, and you should check the programme for the relevant year. In Lauenburg/Elbe, the Elbe Shipping Museum presents the interactive, three-storey exhibition “Mensch-Modell-Maschine” about shipping. Visitors can get hands-on with models and experimental stations. The Duchy of Lauenburg District Museum in Ratzeburg displays exhibits on the history of the dukes of Lauenburg and the inner-German border.

Regional foods add further themes to a trip. Farm and country cafés in the Duchy of Lauenburg are known for their homemade cakes, made with regional produce. In Labenz, Labenzer Stolz Coffee Roastery roasts coffee using the traditional, aroma-preserving long-drum roasting method.

Choose Your Travel Focus and Accommodation

To help decide where to stay, first choose your main focus: should the sculpture park be the highlight of your visit to Müssen, or would you prefer to centre your trip on the nature, cycling, water and cultural attractions of the Duchy of Lauenburg? In the wider travel destination, Büchen’s railway junction connects the district to the long-distance rail network via the Hamburg–Schwerin–Berlin and Lübeck–Lüneburg routes.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Schulendorf, Tramm, Krüzen, Linau, Aumühle, Behlendorf, Breitenfelde, Schwarzenbek-Land.

Go to the overview of the wider travel destination: Duchy of Lauenburg.