Discover Sarlhusen: Waterways, walks and the history of the paper mill

Woods, meadows and waterways

Sarlhusen lies in the southern part of Aukrug Nature Park. The Stör, Wegebek, Glasbek and Bünzau rivers flow through a landscape characterised by woods and meadows. These four waterways give the natural landscape its distinctive contours. If you are choosing a holiday destination based on whether nature or culture should take centre stage, Sarlhusen offers both: the nature of the park and the history of the paper mill site.

Explore on foot or by bike

The Nature Park Trail reaches Sarlhusen via the Papiermühle area. The section near the paper mill is reserved for pedestrians; cyclists are directed to paved paths. This distinction is important when planning your trip: the designated section is for pedestrians, while cyclists should follow the signs to the paved paths. Path conditions may change, so check them before setting out. The local setting in the nature park also lends itself to longer hiking and cycling trips through Aukrug Nature Park. This offers two different scales to choose from: the specific section of the Nature Park Trail near Papiermühle, and longer trips through the nature park. You can plan your day according to whether you want to focus on the route near the paper mill or on a longer hike or bike ride in the park.

A history shaped by the paper mill

A paper mill was established near Sarlhusen in 1738. Trout farming has operated on the former mill site since 1885. The two dates mark different uses of the mill site over more than a century. This historical connection adds a cultural theme to the nature experiences. It gives you another focus for planning your trip, alongside hiking and cycling: the history of the Papiermühle site.

Steinburg as a wider travel destination

If you would like to plan beyond the town itself, you can include Steinburg as a wider travel destination. The landscape of Steinburg district stretches from the Elbe to the Holsteiner Auenland. Wilstermarsch, one of Schleswig-Holstein’s oldest landscapes, is home to the lowest point in Germany, at 3.54 metres below sea level. Steinburg also offers a broader setting for cycling: the Elbe Cycle Route is one of five long-distance cycle routes that run through the region. Alongside longer hiking and cycling trips through Aukrug Nature Park, this offers a long-distance cycling route as a separate travel idea. This distinction can help you choose your focus: local trips through the nature park or a travel plan that includes the Elbe Cycle Route as part of a wider visit to Steinburg.

Culture in Steinburg

The museums in the wider Steinburg travel destination offer their own highlights. The Detlefsen Museum in Glückstadt gives a comprehensive picture of Glückstadt and the Holstein Elbe marshes, past and present. In Itzehoe, the Prinzeßhof District Museum presents the history and cultural history of Steinburg district in the 19th and 20th centuries; it is housed in the city’s oldest secular building. The Wenzel Hablik Museum in Itzehoe displays the estate of Wenzel Hablik, including paintings, drawings, designs for utopian space settlements, furniture, textiles, and collections of shell and metal figures. Steinburg’s cultural offerings therefore range from regional history to the varied legacy of an artist.

Discover more destinations: Horst, Sankt Margarethen, Wulfsmoor, Wewelsfleth, Rethwisch, Breitenburg, Kollmar, Dägeling

View the wider travel overview: Steinburg.