Equal distance of about 100km from Hamburg, Hanover, and Bremen is the town of Visselhövede; that was once ruled by the Hanoverian Crown, the Swedes, and even the Danes. Yeah, confusing isn’t it?
Today, the town is all German with a Heimatmuseum (i.e., Local History Museum) to prove it. It also has a Honey & Wax Factory, which is a great way to see how important the stuff was or is to the town’s local economy.
Yes, honey is important to Visselhövede’s economic life and the Church of St. Johannis is important to the town’s spiritual life. This lovely church has been looking after the town’s religious needs since the 12th century. Wow, that’s like 900 years of weddings, baptisms, and everything else in between!
The Harvest Celebration (held mid-September) isn’t a church function; but, it’s an important piece of Visselhövede’s culture.
On Castle Road you’ll find many restored houses of a time long gone in Visselhövede. Not that modern progress is bad, it’s just nice to see how things once where.
But, none (and I mean none) of them are as beautiful as the natural countryside found within the Lüneburg Heath. Whether you choose to ride a bicycle around the Heath or spend a few nights in an RV, Visselhövede is certainly a good place to start. I vote for the bicycle because it’s one of the best ways to see Lower Saxony (say, FLAT!).
If you don’t know how to ride a bike, trekking off on many of the walking trails come in a close second. The Heath has sprawling meadows, moorlands, forests, and every other piece of nature in between. Look around closely, you might even find some ancient Stone or Bronze Age grave hills hidden within the Heath.
With some of the most amazingly beautiful countryside, you’ll see why the Swedes, Danes, and everyone else under the sun wanted to “own” this area.
