Hollenstedt: Church, Ringwall and Trails

Church, sexton’s house and ringwall

St. Andrew’s Church stands in Hollenstedt and is 1,000 years old. Right next to the church is the sexton’s house, a building constructed in 1669 as a three-post house. The wooden bell tower is also part of the church; it was renovated in 2001. Together, these buildings offer several points of connection to the past, from the church’s construction and the design of a historic house to the later renovation of the tower. If you’re travelling with family, you can use these differences as an opportunity to get to know the town’s history as well as using it as a starting point for activities.

A restored ringwall dating from 804 has been preserved in Hollenstedt. The Alte Burg ringwall site lies around 1.5 km south of Hollenstedt and can be reached via the Este hiking trail. Another reference point is the “Am Stinnberg” school car park in Hollenstedt: from there, the Este hiking trail leads to the site after about 2.5 km. Hollenstedt was once a market and church town between Buxtehude and Tostedt. This historical role adds to the story told by the surviving buildings, though there’s no need to limit your holiday today to cultural activities.

Trails for a variety of holiday days

Hollenstedt has an extensive network of hiking, cycling and horse-riding trails. This gives you a choice of ways to get around, whether you’d like to travel on foot, by bike or on horseback. One specific hiking option is the 10 km Estetal W7 half-day tour, which follows the Este from Hollenstedt. The Este hiking trail, meanwhile, runs from Bötersheim via Hollenstedt and Moisburg to Buxtehude.

The Este East tour leads to the historic ringwall and crosses two viaducts. It is fully signposted and marked. The trails are mostly natural and have no inclines; sturdy footwear is recommended. This makes it easy to distinguish this tour from other options: the viaducts and ringwall are features of the route, while the trail conditions and recommendation to wear sturdy footwear are useful to bear in mind when planning. If you’re travelling with children, you can decide together whether this particular route or another kind of outing appeals to you more.

Water and activities, too

From Hollenstedt, you can take canoe trips on the Este to Moisburg and Buxtehude. This adds a water-based excursion to the trails on land. If you’re interested in this outing, you can bear in mind when choosing where to stay that Hollenstedt serves as a starting point for the canoe trips described here. Another way to get active is the outdoor swimming pool in Hollenstedt. It has two 1-metre diving boards and one 3-metre diving board. There is also a tennis facility with indoor and outdoor courts. So alongside the routes, there are options for water-based and sporting activities—and your holiday days don’t all have to look the same.

Choosing Hollenstedt as your holiday destination

When looking for a holiday apartment in Hollenstedt, your group’s interests can help you decide: would you like to explore historic buildings and the ringwall, choose one of the described tours or go canoeing on the Este? The information about the town and its routes gives you specific ideas to consider, but does not indicate how far any accommodation is from a particular destination.

You can also explore other destinations, including Heidenau, Winsen An Der Luhe, Marschacht, Drage, Sottorf, Salzhausen, Hanstedt and Otter.

For the broader travel overview: Harburg.