Discover Brunstorf

Brunstorf can be placed in context for a hotel stay through one specific local landmark: St. Elisabeth's Church. If you would also like to include activities in the wider destination of the Duchy of Lauenburg, the region offers its own setting of nature, cycle routes and culture. This lets you distinguish between the history of the town and regional themes when planning your trip.

St. Elisabeth's Church: History and furnishings

St. Elisabeth's Church in Brunstorf was built in 1777 and is considered the oldest church in the surrounding area. It replaced an earlier church; the north wall still shows remnants of the older church in the form of unworked fieldstones. The first church was probably built around 1250, and its first written mention dates to 1319. For those interested in architectural history, the church thus combines an 18th-century building with visible traces of an earlier church.

The interior furnishings also bring together different periods and design elements. The nave has a barrel vault supported by ten wooden columns and painted with a starry sky. It also features a St. Anne Trinity from the 16th century, as well as Late Gothic figures of St. Peter and St. John. The layout and ceiling design sit alongside figurative works of art from different periods.

You can enquire about guided tours through the parish office. The parish also makes an effort to keep the church regularly open in summer. Before your visit, check with the parish office for current options.

Nature, routes and culture in the Duchy of Lauenburg

In the wider destination of the Duchy of Lauenburg, forests and water, gentle hills, open fields, tree-lined avenues, wetlands and bogs shape the landscape. Forests cover 26 percent of the Duchy of Lauenburg district, which is also home to 48 lakes. The district also includes the Sachsenwald, the largest contiguous forest area in Schleswig-Holstein.

The Lauenburg Lakes Nature Park lies in the heart of the Duchy of Lauenburg. Its amenities include hiking trails, observation towers, nature trails and places to rest. In the nature park, you can hike, cycle, canoe and swim in forest lakes. Guided excursions with experts explore the district's wildlife, plant life and cultural history; check the dates separately for the day you wish to visit.

For cycling trips, the Old Salt Road is a 3-star long-distance cycle route from Lüneburg to Lübeck that passes through the Duchy of Lauenburg and follows the historic salt-trading corridor. The section from Lauenburg to Lübeck runs along the Elbe-Lübeck Canal. The Lauenburg Lakes Nature Park also has four signposted cycle tours. This means the Duchy of Lauenburg offers a choice of one long-distance route that crosses the region and several tours associated with the nature park.

The Elbe Shipping Museum in Lauenburg/Elbe offers a different cultural focus. In the wider destination of the Duchy of Lauenburg, it presents the interactive, three-storey exhibition “People–Model–Machine” on shipping. Visitors can get hands-on with models and experimental stations. The shipping exhibition and the architectural and furnishing history of Brunstorf's St. Elisabeth's Church are thus two distinct cultural subjects.

Discover more destinations: Mechow, Groß Sarau, Fredeburg, Siebenbäumen, Salem, Wohltorf, Wentorf Bei Hamburg, Nusse.

Back to the main travel overview: Duchy of Lauenburg.