American World Traveler Fall 2016 Issue

65
Our next destination was Lüneburger Heide -
Lüneburg Heath, which is a large area of
heath, geest and woodland in the northeastern
part of the state of Lower Saxony. A historical
anomaly, the dialect of Northern Low
Saxon is still widely spoken in the region! Very
unique.
The area forms part of the hinterland for the
cities of Hamburg, Hanover and Bremen, and
is named after the town of Lüneburg. Most of
the area is a nature reserve which was shown
to us by Ms. Marianne Draeger from
Naturparkregion Lüneburger Heide e.V., a
certified guide for nature and landscapes.
Marianne briefly introduced the barrier-free
hiking trail then guided us along the
Heidschnuck sheep trail from
Niederhaverbeck to Wilsede. She was a wellspring
of information about the preservation
of the heath and its amazing flora and fauna.
We enjoyed a light lunch along the hike, and
after the nature walk we found ourselves surrounded
by some of the most charming
German historic houses I have ever seen,
wooden structures with wonderful thatched
roofs where we would stop for a wonderful
coffee break with cake. To round out the day,
a horse-drawn carriage took us from Wilsede
back to the hotel…what a relaxing and special
to see the countryside in an old fashioned
way!
Elbtalaue would offer a whirlwind of activity,
starting with a trip to the ‘Niedersächsische
Elbtalaue’ Biosphere Reserve in the Elbe valley
of Lower Saxony, its nature and landscape is
something to see, with its meandering river
and oxbow lakes. We also learned that the
Lower Saxonian Elbe valley is an ancient cultural
hub as well, with traces of human activity
dating back to the Bronze Age!
After that, we arrived in Hitzacker, a spa town
located on the River Elbe and enjoyed a guided
walk around town, and then we got to
experience the romantic landscape of the Elbe
valley from a different perspective while riding
a motorized raft along the river.
After lunch we took a tour through the cultural
site of one of the last remaining Rundling
villages in Europe and took in the open-air
museum in Lübeln and visiting Satemin for an
afternoon coffee. The fascinating Rundling
villages, a primitive form of circular village,
are a curious reminder of the interaction
between German rulers and their Slavic subjects
in the early Middle Ages. Although still
being studied, and under consideration to be
granted World Heritage status, most
researchers believe they were round to close
the village in and offer only one road in from
the outside, strengthening the community.
Really interesting and unique.
Just before returning home, we had a short
visit in the city of Bremen’s old town. This city
is known for its link to The "Town Musicians of
Bremen" (German: Die Bremer
Stadtmusikanten), a fairy tale by the Brothers
Grimm about a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a
rooster who leave their homes, unite and
defeat a den of thieves. Gerhard Marcks
sculpted a statue in honor of the Bremen Town
Musicians, and it is said that touching the
front hooves can make dreams come true!
Needless to say some wishes were made,
including one to return to Germany!
www.germany.travel
American World Traveler / Fall 2016