Schafflund’s watermill combines a long history of grain milling with today’s renewable electricity generation. Nearby, there is an outdoor pool, as well as opportunities for cycling and hiking excursions. When planning your stay, you can choose between industrial history, stories of the border and a visit to the Waldeck outdoor pool.
Grain, water power and milling technology
Grain was already being milled using water power at the Schafflund watermill around 1300. The large millpond stored energy for its operation. Once the most important grain mill between the Flensburg city limits and the marshland, the mill drew grain from across the region under the so-called milling obligation. These details link the millpond’s technical function with the mill’s regional importance for grain processing.
A visit offers insight into the mill building and its old machinery. The waterwheel is turning again; since operating conditions can change, check in advance whether it will be turning during your planned visit. The mill generates around 27,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity per year; this annual amount may change. The same mill thus brings together historic water-powered operations and modern electricity generation.
The historic mill is in Schafflund, behind deciduous trees and a short distance from the B199. Once a year, it opens its doors for Mill Day. If you are planning your visit around this event, check the date in advance.
Cycling and hiking around Schafflund
In the Schafflund cycling region, you can explore border history and local stories about the border at information points and through conversations. The watermill is also a destination or stop on regional cycling tours. The cycling region thus brings historical stories together with a technical monument, without requiring a particular tour.
A hiking route also leads to the mill: it runs from the Romanesque church in WallsbĂĽll through the Wallsbek Valley to the Schafflund watermill. The valley was formed during the Weichselian glaciation. The mill is also considered a peaceful destination for walks if you are interested in technical heritage.
A different kind of break at Waldeck outdoor pool
Waldeck outdoor pool offers a different focus from milling history and cycling. It has a large pool, a children’s area, a sunbathing lawn and a kiosk, and is a popular meeting place for locals and visitors. Schafflund’s character therefore includes both technical history and a place for swimming and relaxation.
Historical sites in the wider Schleswig-Flensburg destination
The wider Schleswig-Flensburg destination has other historical points of interest. Haithabu and the Danevirke have been UNESCO World Heritage sites since June 2018; more than 25 kilometres of the rampart remain today. The historic memorial site and Idstedt Museum provide information about German-Danish history surrounding the uprising of 1848 and the Battle of Idstedt. While the watermill represents milling and technical history, these examples offer their own points of interest across the wider Schleswig-Flensburg destination.
Discover more destinations: Medelby, Jardelund, Wallsbüll, Böxlund, Hörup, Meyn, Lindewitt, Nordhackstedt, Weesby, Holt, Großenwiehe.
Return to the wider travel overview: Schleswig-Flensburg.
