Sometimes when I stumble upon a town that’s a Collective Municipality it’s hard to make the decision whether to include its independent villages or not; hence my problem with the town of Horst (Holstein). Or, maybe I should say: Amt Horst-Herzhorn. No matter what you choose to call it, I’m making the “executive decision” to add it in. What? It’s called the power of the keyboard. ;-)
Just look at it this way… it only enhances all the things you can see and do in this once Prussian town in Schleswig-Holstein, filled with half-timbered houses and quiet lanes for leisurely strolls in the north of Germany.
Now it’s time to put my money where my mouth is, so I’ll tell ya what’s to see and do. Read on…
In the village of Borsleth you’ll find taverns filled with fine German beer, and half-timbered houses that make great photo-ops. Not so bad for a town almost entirely destroyed over 300-years ago during the Thirty Years’ War.
Speaking of crime, the town of Kiebitzreihe also suffered under the Swedes during the war; while today it’s a village that offers serene cycling paths and walking trails. Krempdorf is a good village to see, too. Here you’ll find thatched roof cottages (love those!), small farms, and it hosts a Village Festival every year.
That’s one thing you won’t ever find lacking here in Horst (excuse me, Amt Horst-Herzhorn). The Faschingsfest is a goodie, so is the Rosenmontagsfete (Rose Monday) — both a fine festival to forget the long, cold days of winter. The Osterfeuer can be a fun time, but things really get kicked up in July for the Summer Festival (July), and the Oktoberfest in September.
The good times don’t end there, November’s when Horst holds its Laternenfest and Adventsmarkt.
In between the festivals, visiting the village of Neuendorf should be on your itinerary. This is where you’ll find a small ferry service operating back-and-forth across the river. Go ahead, ride it back and forth all day long — just be sure to see its pretty village church from the first years of the 16th century.
The last village that you should see is Hohenfelde, a rural community that’s got quiet streets, a World War Memorial, and the lovely village church of St. Nikolai.
Oops, make Kollmar your last stop — located on the Elbe, this town got its start almost two thousand years ago. These days it’s got camping facilities right by the dike, and wonderful cycling trails. And, if you can’t get enough of old architecture, there’s a church from the 15th century in town.
I’m pretty sure I’ve missed a few things, but the fact that Horst (Holstein) lies on the Grüne Küstenstraße (Green Coast Road) has not gone unnoticed. Frankly, I’ve never heard of this before today, but turns out it’s a mega-long scenic route running through Germany (of course!), Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark for 1750km.
Wow, that’s a lot of land to cover…thank Heaven all I had to do was Amt Horst-Herzhorn.
