In Amt Neuhaus, a listed village ensemble, border history and birdwatching come together. Konau and neighbouring Popelau offer different ways to explore local history, while nature observation takes centre stage along the Vogelkieker Tour. When planning your visit, you can focus on cultural history or nature observation.
Konau: a protected marshland village
Konau and neighbouring Popelau form a listed marshland village, with Lower Saxon two-post hall houses, stables, barns and carriage houses. The ensemble is considered the only fully preserved village of its kind in the world. It is located directly on the dyke in the Lower Saxon Elbe Valley Biosphere Reserve. For anyone interested in rural architectural history, a defining feature is not just any one house, but the relationship between the preserved buildings.
Border history in Konau and Popelau
In the Elbe village of Konau, an exhibition carriage house and a border-history trail marked with information panels present the story of the people who lived in the former restricted zone. The trail follows the theme “Border Crossings – Life on the Elbe in Konau, Popelau and Darchau.” In the carriage house, photos, exhibits, information panels and authentic interviews with contemporary witnesses help tell their story. The exhibition “Border Crossings – Life in the Restricted Zone” is part of a border-history trail approximately 6 km long.
The exhibition “Forced Resettlements on the Inner German Border” in Popelau documents the impact of forced resettlement on people in Amt Neuhaus. At listening stations, you can hear interviews with contemporary witnesses about the fates of affected families. This gives Popelau a distinct focus alongside the history of life in the former restricted zone presented in Konau. Several border towers have also been preserved along the Elbe Cycle Route in Amt Neuhaus.
Birdwatching and the biosphere
Along the Vogelkieker Tour, you can observe birds in the landscape particularly well from the Mahnkenwerder observation tower and from Kiek ut in Preten. The restored Storkenkate in Preten serves as a visitor centre and an information point for the biosphere reserve. The tour continues to Neuhaus, home to the Archezentrum Amt Neuhaus, with its many old livestock breeds.
At the Amt Neuhaus Biosphere Centre in Konau, the permanent exhibition “A Passion for Diversity” features old domestic animal breeds and crop varieties, as well as the natural environment of the Lower Saxon Elbe Valley Biosphere Reserve. This makes plant diversity and nature additional themes alongside the historical highlights in Konau and Popelau. Check the Biosphere Centre’s current opening hours before your visit.
Circular walking trails in the municipality
There are ten circular walking trails within the municipality of Amt Neuhaus, ranging from the shifting dunes to the banks of the Elbe. The border-history trail in Konau is approximately 6 km long, offering a specific route for exploring the area’s border history. The routes may be temporarily affected by flooding or other events. Before setting out, check whether your chosen route is currently affected.
Whether you are mainly interested in historic buildings, the history of people who lived in the former restricted zone or birdwatching, Amt Neuhaus offers a range of themes to explore. Local exhibitions and observation points give your visit a specific focus, while the circular walking trails offer another way to discover the municipality’s landscape.
Discover more destinations: Reinstorf, Barum, Vögelsen, Reppenstedt, Amelinghausen, Brietlingen, Wendisch Evern, Dahlenburg.
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