Discover Bardowick: the cathedral, mill and natural swimming pool

The cathedral and historic buildings

At St. Peter and St. Paul’s Cathedral, you can distinguish several chapters in its architectural and decorative history. The oldest parts of the present-day church building date from before 1189. The bronze baptismal font was purchased in 1367 and is the cathedral’s oldest furnishing; the Marian altar was created around 1430. This means that early architectural features and furnishings from later centuries can be seen side by side in the same place.

Another historic complex is St. Nikolaihof. Its residential and farm buildings, dating from the 14th to the 18th century, are grouped around a Gothic chapel. The Eichhof woodland borders the complex directly. The “Gildehaus” local history museum focuses on the most important periods in Bardowick’s history. It is housed in a Lower Saxon two-post house that formerly served as the town hall. The cathedral, Nikolaihof and Gildehaus each offer a different perspective: church architecture, a historic building complex and the history of the town.

Historic walking tour and SamBa tours

The historic walking tour introduces Bardowick’s history with the help of information panels at 13 locations. One distinctive detail is the figure “Pfennig,” modeled on a medieval Bardowick coin. The stops connect the town’s history with a specific motif that you can look out for along the route.

Both SamBa tours also start at Bardowick Cathedral and return to Bardowick, but follow different routes. The first passes the railway station and a former railway embankment towards Vögelsen, then continues to Mechtersen and Radbruch. The return route goes past the Dutch windmill. SamBa Tour 2 is 25 kilometers long: it passes the Dutch mill, crosses fields and meadows to Neu Wittorf, and takes a detour to Handorf Church towards Lake Barum before returning via St. Dionys and the old swing bridge. For Tour 2, the stated route length provides a specific point of reference for planning your day. Check current route conditions before setting out.

Mill festival and natural swimming pool

The gallery Dutch windmill was restored in 1994/95 and is one of the few mills in Germany still operated commercially. This operating status may change. At the annual mill festival at Pentecost, visitors can watch and learn about the mill in operation. If you would like to plan your stay around the festival, check the date in advance.

Bardowicker Strand natural swimming pool is an artificially created, nature-oriented outdoor pool that operates without chemicals. Facilities include a 50-meter pool, a separated area for babies and non-swimmers, a sandy beach with beach chairs, and a large sunbathing lawn with designated football and volleyball areas. There is also a diving rock with one- and two-meter jumps, as well as a rope ferry. For families with young children, the separated area and the 70-square-meter toddlers’ area are especially appealing; the latter has particularly strong water circulation and built-in weirs. The different areas show the specific swimming and recreational activities available at the natural swimming pool.

Plan your stay around your interests

When looking for a holiday apartment, you can start with the kind of day you want to plan. Those interested in architectural history will find different historical points of interest at the cathedral, Nikolaihof and Gildehaus. If you want to plan a tour, you can choose between the routes described here; if you want to combine water and activity, the natural swimming pool offers several clearly defined areas and facilities. Bardowick therefore cannot be reduced to a single attraction: you can shape your visit around the interests that matter most to you.

Discover more destinations: Barendorf, Handorf, Betzendorf, Nahrendorf, Artlenburg, Thomasburg, Reppenstedt, Westergellersen.

See the main travel overview: Lüneburg.