Oststeinbek, which borders the city of Hamburg, isn’t very big. Literally not very big, encompassing an area just a tad over 11 square kilometers.
Its size doesn’t make too much of a difference. We know good things come in small packages, right? Hey, at least you won’t have to take a bazillion buses, taxis, or trains to make your way around town.
However, you could take a bus to get here; as there is frequent bus service to Oststeinbek (or as it’s called in Low German, Ooststeenbeek) from Hamburg, Glinde, Reinbek, and Barsbüttel.
The town’s name isn’t all that’s spoken in Low German. Oststeinbek has a local theater that performs plays twice a year in Low German. Even if you don’t understand a word, you’ll enjoy it anyway. Trust me.
Even though the theater’s “season” is technically in the Spring and Fall; come Christmas time when the theater has all sorts of children’s programs. You got to do something inside, it gets cold up here in the winter.
I would also suggest going to see Oststeinbek’s Catholic Church, which is the church for some nine towns in the area. It’s a charming white building with an ivy covered roof, so even if you don’t go in for services in Portuguese (yes, there’s a large Portuguese population here) or German, it’ll make for a nice picture.
The warmer weather brings everyone outside to enjoy the air. Families can take walks along the Glinder Au (a tributary of the Bille River) looking for everything from butterflies to birds. With a 9-hole golf course up this way, you’ll really enjoy hitting the links in an area that was once part of Prussia.
Warmer temperatures also gives everyone a chance to enjoy a few festivals. The Maypole Festival is on the first Sunday in May, the Summer Festival is mid-June, and the Market Festival is every August.
I think I better go brush up on some Low German so I can tell everyone how great I think Oststeinbek is. ;-)
