Gifhorn: Mills, Moorlands and Nature
Accommodation in Gifhorn
In the Gifhorn district, heathland and forests meet moorlands, rivers and lakes. There are many different ways to spend your days here, combining culture and nature: you can discover full-size mills, watch wildlife or take a trip into the Great Moor. Deciding which places you want to shape your stay is therefore a good starting point when choosing your holiday apartment in Gifhorn.
Discover landscapes and routes actively
The district is home to the Drömling UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Elsewhere, too, moors, heathland and forests define the character of the landscape. In Sassenburg-Stüde, BernsteinSee lies directly beside the Elbe Lateral Canal, surrounded by woodland, heathland and moorland. It covers 9.5 hectares and is up to 16 metres deep. These details describe a lake in a distinctive landscape; when planning your vacation, they can help you choose nature destinations based on what you would like to explore more closely.
The district offers around 700 kilometres of recreational cycling routes. In addition, there are around 550 kilometres of everyday cycling routes with connecting sections. Around 400 signposted junctions can be combined to plan your own route. If you would rather use a signposted tour as a starting point, the Südheide “Cycling” brochure features 14 tours in total. GPX tracks and further information can be downloaded via a QR code. These options can help you choose between planning your own route and following one of the listed tours, without prescribing a particular route.
The ornithological walking trail around Tankumsee offers a specific insight into the local birdlife. Information boards along the trail provide facts about the birds at the lake. Those especially interested in birdwatching and nature information can explore the landscape in a different way than they would on a cycling tour.
Mills, crafts and regional specialities
The International Wind and Watermill Museum in Gifhorn features 13 full-size mills from around the world. The museum grounds also include a village square that is freely accessible to all visitors. Fresh bread from the historic bakehouse and regional specialities from the farm shop add culinary impressions to your visit. Culture, a freely accessible square and regional products all come together on the same grounds.
Another cultural stop is Brome Castle, one of more than 70 border fortresses in the Principality of Lüneburg. At Living Museum events, visitors can try their hand at forging iron or hammering wooden pegs into shoes. This is a special opportunity to experience historic crafts in practice at an event, rather than simply seeing them as exhibits.
Experience wildlife and moorland in different ways
At the OTTER-CENTRUM in Hankensbüttel, visitors can observe otters as well as badgers, stoats, stone martens, polecats, mink and pine martens. The enclosures are modelled on the animals’ natural habitats. The NABU Species Conservation Centre in Leiferde, by contrast, cares for native wild animals in need, mainly birds. Recovered animals are released back into their natural habitats as quickly as possible. The centre also offers environmental education, daily information, materials and help making contacts in nature conservation.
The moor railway travels into the Great Moor in the municipality of Sassenburg in covered carriages specially adapted to carry passengers. It travels at six kilometres per hour. The circular route has two stops where passengers can get off, as well as a boardwalk and an observation platform. This experience is quite different from a cycling tour or a museum visit: the slow-paced journey itself takes you into the Great Moor.
Choose the right base
When looking for accommodation, consider which of these interests matter most to you during your stay: mills and crafts, nature and species conservation, birdlife, moorland or cycling. The destinations mentioned are spread across places such as Gifhorn, Hankensbüttel, Leiferde, Brome and Sassenburg. Focus your search on the area that best suits the places you plan to explore, rather than basing your accommodation decision on a single attraction alone.
Other places to help you get your bearings: Obernholz, Weyhausen, Wesendorf, Tappenbeck, Ribbesbüttel, Gifhorn, Isenbüttel, Ummern, Tülau, Vordorf, Leiferde, Müden, Meinersen, Dedelstorf, Sprakensehl, Hankensbüttel, Schönewörde, Sassenburg, Emmen, Neudorf-Platendorf, Steinhorst, Groß Oesingen, Wahrenholz, Räderloh, Wilsche, Vollbüttel, Hagen, Behren, Rühen, Brechtorf, Abbesbüttel, Hillerse, Brome, Meine, Bokensdorf, Calberlah, Ehra-Lessien, Wittingen, Bergfeld, Didderse and Tiddische.
For the overview of the wider region: Lower Saxony.
