The interior of St. Mary’s combines a three-aisled timber structure with influences from English Tudor Gothic. Neo-Gothic furnishings, an altar by Ratzeburg master carpenter Flohr, and paintings depicting Peter and Paul give the church a distinctive architectural character.
St. Mary’s and the History of the Parish
Siebenbäumen itself also appears in the art: the paintings depict the village in the background. A historical trail leads to the parish of Siebenbäumen, first mentioned in a document dating from 1286. The document assigns Kastorf to the parish. Architecture and parish history thus offer two distinct ways of exploring the village’s history, without needing to equate them.
Culture Around the Windmill
Another cultural focal point is the work of the Windmühle Siebenbäumen association. It promotes art and culture, supports the restoration and preservation of windmill technology, and offers courses and educational events. If you are interested in a particular course or event, check the relevant dates. In Siebenbäumen, alongside church architecture, the focus also includes the history of technology and cultural learning opportunities.
The Duchy of Lauenburg: Forests, Lakes and Nature Park
Looking beyond the village to the wider destination of the Duchy of Lauenburg, the landscape is rich in forests and lakes: 26 percent of the district is forest, and it also contains 48 lakes. The district is also home to the Sachsenwald, Schleswig-Holstein’s largest contiguous forest. Lake Schaalsee, meanwhile, is the deepest clear-water lake in northern Germany, with its deepest point 72 metres below the surface.
Lauenburg Lakes Nature Park lies in the heart of the duchy. It covers an area about 35 by 17 kilometres and provides a habitat for, among others, kingfishers, white-tailed eagles and cranes. The visitor infrastructure there includes hiking trails, observation towers, nature trails and rest areas. The nature park was established in 1960 as a protected area for visitors to enjoy. Expert-led guided excursions explore the district’s wildlife, plant life and cultural history.
Hiking, Cycling and Getting Out on the Water
In the nature park, you can hike, cycle, canoe and swim in forest lakes; there are also four signposted cycle routes. The European long-distance hiking trails E1, E6 and E9 run north to south through the duchy, via Ratzeburg, Mölln and Lauenburg. The Old Salt Route runs from Lauenburg to Lübeck along the Elbe-Lübeck Canal and through the duchy. One possible canoe route goes from Lake Schaalsee via the Lauenburg lakes and the Wakenitz to Lübeck. Local rules for use may vary. Sailing is also possible on Lake Ratzeburg. The duchy therefore offers everything from walking and cycling trips to activities on the water, with considerable differences between specific routes and locations.
Culture, Food and Regional Connections
The cultural attractions in the Duchy of Lauenburg also cover a range of interests. The Elbschifffahrtsmuseum in Lauenburg/Elbe presents the interactive, three-storey exhibition “Mensch-Modell-Maschine” (“People-Model-Machine”) about shipping; visitors can get hands-on with models and interactive stations. The Duchy of Lauenburg District Museum in Ratzeburg focuses on the history of the dukes of Lauenburg and the inner-German border. Kultursommer am Kanal is a four-week cultural festival held every summer. For planning, it is worth checking that year’s programme.
Farm and country cafés in the Duchy of Lauenburg are known for homemade cakes made with regional products. In Labenz, Labenzer Stolz Coffee Roastery roasts coffee using a traditional, aroma-preserving, long-duration drum-roasting method. For rail connections across the district, Büchen junction station is a regional hub: the Hamburg–Schwerin–Berlin and Lübeck–Lüneburg lines connect the district to the long-distance rail network. Check current timetables when planning your trip.
Discover more destinations: Besenthal, Klempau, Krukow, Möhnsen, Alt Mölln, Lauenburg Lakes, Krüzen, Groß Disnack.
Back to the overview of the wider destination: Duchy of Lauenburg.
