Belum: Church, Schanze and the Historical Ostedeich Route

Belum is associated with three distinct historical features: St. Vitus Church in the village, the Belumer Schanze’s role in protecting the Oste estuary, and the Historical Ostedeich Route, which begins in Belum. Together, they take you from Romanesque architecture through the history of protecting the Oste estuary to the historical ties between the villages along the Oste and the river.

Church and local history

At the heart of the village stands the old St. Vitus Church. The single-nave Romanesque hall church, built of fieldstones, dates from around 1200. Its tower serves as a navigation marker for shipping. The church’s central position in the village thus combines a striking building with a function that reaches beyond local history.

The Belumer Schanze served to protect the Oste estuary. Today, only a trace of it remains visible. The Vitusmarkt, named after St. Vitus Church in Belum, was the largest market of its kind in the surrounding area. A small ferry port stood at the mouth of the Belumer Schleusenfleth where it meets the Oste until the 20th century. The church, market and ferry port offer different historical perspectives on Belum and its surroundings.

Ostedeich Route and landscape

The Historical Ostedeich Route runs from Belum via Neuhaus (Oste), Cadenberge OT Geversdorf and Oberndorf to Hechthausen. More than 65 uniform information boards explain the historical ties between the villages along the Oste and the river. The route is therefore about more than the sequence of places; it also explores their history along the river. The Belumer Deich offers another perspective on the history of the dikes: after the last raising of the Elbe dike was completed in 1999, it was about 8.50 metres high.

Cycling tours through Belum and Kehdingbruch are recommended. The municipality also has hiking trails for extended walks. The municipality of Belum includes the village of Kehdingbruch and the districts of Bahrdorf and Westerndorf, and is one of the oldest marshland villages in the Elbe and Oste marshes. Transport links are also described at the municipal level: the B73 federal highway and the Cuxhaven–Hamburg railway line run through the municipality.

Cuxhaven as the wider travel destination

In the wider travel destination of Cuxhaven, the UNESCO Wadden Sea Visitor Centre Cuxhaven uses three floors to present information about the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site and the Cuxhaven coastal heaths. Guided nature tours offer the chance to experience mudflats, salt marsh, Geest cliffs and coastal heath. The wooden Kugelbake, 29 metres high, marks where the Elbe ends and the North Sea begins. The two-storey viewing platform at Alte Liebe offers views of the Elbe.

Historical topics are also part of this regional context: Bederkesa Castle houses the archaeological museum of the district of Cuxhaven. The Hapag Halls are a historic emigration complex and are now a venue for events; visitors can join guided tours and explore the buildings.

Discover more destinations: Cadenberge, Geversdorf, Bülkau.

Back to the regional travel overview: Am Dobrock.