Damnatz lies right on the Elbe and within the Lower Saxon Elbe Valley Biosphere Reserve. The area’s local highlights offer clear guidance when choosing where to stay: the sculpture garden and contemporary art, the history of the half-timbered church, and events at the Kulturtenne. The Elbe Cycle Route also passes the sculpture garden.
Art in the Former Rectory Garden
The Damnatz Sculpture Garden is in a former rectory garden directly on the Elbe and covers around 10,000 square metres. A converted barn on the grounds houses the “Small Museum of Contemporary Art.” Its permanent exhibition features sculptures and paintings. The garden and museum bring together different aspects of the area’s art scene in one place: the distinctive setting of the former rectory garden and the works on permanent display.
Church, Literature and Cultural Programme
The small half-timbered church in the main part of Damnatz dates from 1617. In 1813, a group of Napoleonic soldiers took refuge there; visitors are shown the bullet holes. The church’s history can thus be read in its tangible traces. The writer Nicolas Born is buried in the Damnatz cemetery; his grave is adorned with a sculpture by sculptor Klaus Müller-Klug.
Another way to experience local culture is at the Damnatz Kulturtenne. It hosts music, cabaret and variety performances, film screenings, talks and art exhibitions. The programme ranges from performances to exhibitions. If you would like to include an event in your trip, check the specific dates for your planned travel period.
Explore Damnatz by Bike
The Elbe Cycle Route passes the sculpture garden. The ADAC bicycle service station in Damnatz is right on the route, near the church, and offers quick assistance in the event of a breakdown or potential repairs. For cyclists, both the route past the garden and a service point near the church are useful landmarks. Services may change, so briefly check what assistance is currently available before setting off.
More Cultural Highlights in LĂĽchow-Dannenberg
Beyond Damnatz, the wider destination of Lüchow-Dannenberg offers other cultural attractions. The Wendland Rundlingsmuseum in the circular village of Lübeln presents a farmstead as an open-air museum. Traditional crafts are brought to life in the pottery, blacksmith’s shop, bakehouse and wheelwright’s workshop.
The Hitzacker Archaeological Centre is also an open-air museum. People lived on its grounds around 4,000 years ago; the museum includes three reconstructed longhouses and numerous interactive stations where visitors can immerse themselves in the everyday lives of people in earlier times. The two museums have different focuses: at Lübeln, the farmstead and traditional crafts take centre stage; at Hitzacker, the site’s early use and the reconstructed longhouses are the focus.
Another seasonal cultural event in the wider destination of LĂĽchow-Dannenberg is the Kulturelle Landpartie. Since 1989, artists and craftspeople have opened their farm gates and studios every year between Ascension Day and Pentecost, presenting their work over twelve days. Exact dates vary from year to year; plan your trip around the dates for that year if you would like to attend.
Discover more destinations: Zernien, Bergen (Dumme), Dannenberg, LĂĽbbow, Prezelle, Waddeweitz, Hitzacker, Schnega.
Back to the main travel overview: LĂĽchow-Dannenberg.
