Klein Bennebek: Landscape, Nature and Cycling Routes
Accommodation in Klein Bennebek
Klein Bennebek lies on the edge of the Eider-Treene lowlands and the Schleswiger Vorgeest. Small streams cross the municipality and carry surface water to the Sorge; oak trees shape the landscape. Together with the nature reserve, moorland and signposted cycling routes, nature, water and trails take centre stage. When choosing where to stay, it is therefore particularly relevant whether you would rather experience the landscape and waterways on foot, by bike or from the water.
Landscape and Nature in the Surrounding Area
The municipality includes 421 hectares of the “Gräben der nördlichen Alten Sorge” nature reserve. Above Fünfmühlen, the Alte Sorge features floating-leaved vegetation, including water lilies and water soldier. Nearby Reppelmoor was once a raised bog complex and is now considered a transitional mire with several stages of bog degradation. These varied landscape features offer nature enthusiasts different points of interest: aquatic plants along the Sorge and the development of a moorland landscape.
The nature reserve is an important resting and feeding area for Bewick’s swans and white storks. It is also considered a centre of distribution for the green hawker dragonfly in the Eider-Treene-Sorge region. The otter has become established again along the Alte Sorge after having been absent since the late 1980s. If you are hoping to spot wildlife, ask locally about recent sightings.
Trails and Cycling Routes
The nature reserve has an extensive network of partly surfaced trails. As local trail conditions can change, check them before your visit. The signposted Eider-Treene-Sorge Cycle Route runs along the northern edge of the nature reserve. Another signposted regional cycling route leads from Bergenhusen via FĂĽnfmĂĽhlen and Reppel to Alt and Klein Bennebek. The first route follows the edge of the nature reserve; the second passes through the places mentioned.
Activities on the Alte Sorge
Canoeists and kayakers can use the Alte Sorge between WassermĂĽhle and FĂĽnfmĂĽhlen. Access restrictions apply in neighbouring nature reserves. Fishing on the Alte Sorge is associated with the Klein Bennebek Angling Club; a club hut or landing stage is located on the east bank. If you are planning a fishing trip, check local access and permit requirements.
Courses are another local attraction: the Yeomanry course offers a range of distances and difficulty levels. An NDR report dated 19 July 2021 described a local course with 45 plastic animal targets, from an owl to a moose. An NDR report from 2021 also names Potsdam, Berlin and Bellevue as districts of Klein Bennebek—a curious feature of the place names.
Regional Context: Schleswig-Flensburg
In the wider Schleswig-Flensburg destination, Haithabu and the Danevirke have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 2018. The historic memorial site and Idstedt Museum provide information about German-Danish history surrounding the uprising of 1848 and the Battle of Idstedt. Thus, alongside river and moorland landscapes, the wider destination also offers distinctive cultural and historical themes.
Discover more destinations: Tetenhusen, Süderstapel, Bergenhusen, Wohlde, Klein Rheide, Dörpstedt, Alt Bennebek, Erfde
Back to the overview of the wider destination: Kropp-Stapelholm.
