Discover Handewitt: Nature, Trails and Culture

Handewitt combines church and museum history with routes for walks, hikes and bike rides. When choosing a destination, consider your interests for guidance: the area offers attractions related to culture as well as nature and cycling.

Church, Museum and Everyday Culture

Handewitt Church has a history stretching back more than 800 years. The present-day church was built on the foundations of an earlier church and preserves its medieval tower. Inside, coloured stained-glass windows complement a wooden barrel vault in the Neo-Gothic style; there is also a Romanesque granite baptismal font dating from the 12th century. The church building therefore brings together traces from different historical periods.

The Handewitt Village Museum is housed in a former school building on Kirchberg, opposite a protected historic church that can also be visited. The exhibits include objects and tools used in housework, crafts and agriculture. The local support association runs the museum, which focuses on regional history and everyday culture. The “From Grain to Bread” project brings traditional bread baking back to life. The church and museum thus offer different perspectives: architectural history in one, objects and themes from everyday life in the other.

Trails, Landscape and Cycling

Handewitt offers opportunities for walks, hikes and bike rides. Routes around the area can also be used for walking and horse riding. Schäferhaus Foundation Land features a semi-open, savannah-like grazing landscape, home to Konik horses and Galloway cattle. There is an extensive network of hiking and cycling trails, as well as a circular horse-riding route more than eight kilometres long.

Three themed cycling routes in the RadRundUm-Flensburg network extend into Handewitt. At the themed stops, visitors can learn about nature, ecology, history and culture. The forest landscapes covered by RadRundUm also include Handewitt Forest, which is rich in conifers. The different themes give cycling a context that brings together natural and cultural history.

Food and Practical Information

The farm café at the Porcelain Exchange serves homemade cakes and tarts indoors or on the farm terrace. Check the café’s current details before planning a visit. The lake district around Flensburg can be reached on foot through Handewitt Forest, by bike, car or bus. Check the latest service information before travelling by bus.

More Places to Explore in the Schleswig-Flensburg Destination

The wider Schleswig-Flensburg destination is also home to important cultural and historical sites, including Haithabu and the Danevirke. Both have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since June 2018; more than 25 kilometres of the Danevirke rampart still remain today. For nature lovers, Geltinger Birk is another regional attraction: at 773 hectares, it is the largest nature reserve in the Schleswig-Flensburg district. Well-maintained paths and guided walks introduce visitors to the area’s flora and fauna. These regional destinations complement Handewitt’s church and museum history without attributing their features to the area itself.

Discover more destinations: Jarplund, Haddeby, Glücksburg, Mittelangeln, Schafflund, Südangeln, Maasholm, Eggebek

See the overview of the wider destination: Schleswig-Flensburg.