Lauenburg

A small town at the bank of the river Elbe

Lauenburg is not far from my hometown and we like taking a trip to the old part of it to look at the river Elbe.

Lauenburg has a lower part, mainly one long row of old houses with interesting entrances and some shops with arts and crafts.

Walking up one of the little backstreets, one reaches the upper part of Lauenburg. 900 years ago there was a castle above the river. The watchtower dating back to the 15th century is a reminder of that time. It was used as jail and a lookout. Later a residence replaced the castle and these days it is integrated into everyday life in Lauenburg.

Meadows of the river Elbe

Not far from Lüneburg, at the ferry crossing the Elbe at the small town of Bleckede in Northern Saxony it is possible to walk for miles on the embankments of the river Elbe. Here the border ran along the Elbe when Germany was split. After the reunification the meadows where turned into nature reserve. Here are some impressions of a walk we took there last year in early autumn:

North German Impressions: Sunday afternoon at the River Elbe

Last Sunday we had a spell of early spring weather and it was impossible not to go somewhere nice. We decided on take a trip to the River Elbe, using mainly local roads. Typical for the marshland are water ditches running parallel to the road.

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We didn’t meet many cyclist, as we had just 5°C, but the moment it gets warmer you have to drive very carefully as it is popular to go on trips by bicycle. It is also quite normal that children cycle to school. Therefore I find it understanding that the locals are angry about not having a bicycle path. Their creative way of expressing their demand impressed me. All along the street they had placed old bicycles right next to the road, and every now and then a bigger reminder like the one below.

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It is mainly locals that use the beach at Kollmar. In summer it is also possible to bath here and it is fun to watch the ship traffic to and from Hamburg.

Like everywhere in Germany you will find a café and restaurant for coffee and cake. This one has a great view onto the river. In summer it is also a popular meeting place for bikers.

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