Fredeburg offers two different starting points for an exploration: The European bison enclosure focuses on observing large wild animals, while the Landwehr and Old Salt Road have left historic traces in the landscape. This combination gives the place a distinctive character. When looking for accommodation, you can plan your trip around whether wildlife watching, hiking or cultural history will be your main focus.

Watch European bison and explore the hiking trail

The European bison enclosure offers a free nature experience. Visitors can observe European bison there, including calves when present. The animals are considered Europe’s largest land mammals. This makes the enclosure a specific destination in Fredeburg for anyone interested in wildlife.

A hiking trail is directly connected to the bison enclosure. This makes it possible to combine wildlife watching with a hike, rather than focusing your visit solely on the enclosure. Trail conditions may change seasonally, so check their current status before setting out. The enclosure and trail offer different experiences, giving you a clear choice between wildlife watching and exploring on foot.

Historic traces in the landscape

Fredeburg preserves traces of a historic Landwehr and the Old Salt Road. A fortified tower once guarded a former passageway. Remains of the associated ditches and ramparts are still visible in the landscape. The fortification is therefore not represented by the tower alone: the surviving earthworks are also visible evidence of this history.

Those interested in cultural history will find a different experience here than at the bison enclosure. Instead of wildlife watching, the focus is on the relationship between the passageway, the fortified tower and the visible remains of the Landwehr. These historic traces add another dimension to the landscape without requiring a museum visit to be the main focus.

In the wider destination of the Duchy of Lauenburg

The wider destination of the Duchy of Lauenburg offers further nature experiences. The Duchy of Lauenburg district is 26 percent forested and has 48 lakes. The district is also home to the Sachsenwald, Schleswig-Holstein’s largest contiguous forest. In the Lauenburg Lakes Nature Park, visitors can hike, cycle, canoe and swim in forest lakes. The park provides a habitat for kingfishers, white-tailed eagles and cranes, among other species.

For cycling trips, four signposted routes are available in the Lauenburg Lakes Nature Park. A circular route of around 40 kilometres runs through the nature park and starts in the cathedral and island town of Ratzeburg. Those more interested in longer-distance hiking routes can consider the E1, E6 and E9 long-distance trails: they run from north to south through the Duchy of Lauenburg, passing through Ratzeburg, Mölln and Lauenburg. The different route options make it easier to decide whether a signposted cycling loop or a long-distance hiking trail better suits your interests.

The wider Duchy of Lauenburg also offers its own wildlife-watching destinations. Visitors can watch waterbirds from the observation tower at Lake Mechow; with a little luck, they may also spot a white-tailed eagle. This complements the bison watching in Fredeburg with a different perspective on the region’s wildlife.

Discover more destinations: Salem, Lauenburg Lakes, Krukow, Elmenhorst, Siebenbäumen, Gudow, Berkenthin, Wentorf bei Hamburg.

View the overview of the wider destination: Duchy of Lauenburg.