The GĂĽter Tour goes as far as Hohenaspe and recommends stopping at St. Michaelis, while the Auenwiesen Tour heads towards the village through meadows, fields and lowlands. There is also a section of the Schlei-Eider-Elbe long-distance hiking trail. When planning your trip, you can choose between visiting the church, cycling and hiking. St. Michaelis adds a history of construction dating back to the end of the 12th century to these options.
St. Michaelis: Construction phases and furnishings
The construction history of St. Michaelis began with a fieldstone building at the end of the 12th century. Later work raised the nave in brick. The choir, with its rib vault and two side chapels, was added in the 14th century. An open bell tower stands to the west of the nave. These different building elements and materials reveal several construction phases.
The interior furnishings include a wooden altarpiece dating from around 1480, with a figurative Crucifixion scene; a Renaissance pulpit from around 1560; and a bronze baptismal font cast in 1630. The crypt of Margrave Friedrich Ernst of Kulmbach and his wife is also located there. Around 150 years separate the approximate date of the altarpiece from the casting of the baptismal font, with the pulpit from around 1560 falling in between. Parking is available for visitors at KirchenstraĂźe 10.
Two cycling tours, different highlights
The GĂĽter Tour reaches Hohenaspe and recommends stopping at St. Michaelis to see the tower. On the way back to Itzehoe, it follows quiet minor roads. A detour leads to the Muldsberger Grube, a former clay-mining area with a lake and circular trail. The route then passes through a forest to Drage, where there is another estate complex. These stops combine a visit to the church with a former mining area, a lake and a stretch through the forest. Check current route conditions before setting out.
The Auenwiesen Tour approaches Hohenaspe through broad meadows, fields and lowlands. One section passes through Aukrug Nature Park and showcases the varied Geest landscape of the region. Beyond Hohenaspe, the tour continues along quiet routes to Drage and into Barlohe State Forest.
The specific highlights provide a guide when choosing between the two cycling tours: the GĂĽter Tour explicitly recommends stopping at St. Michaelis to see the tower; the route also includes the Muldsberger Grube and the stretch through the forest to Drage. The Auenwiesen Tour focuses on landscapes of meadows, fields and lowlands, as well as the Geest section in Aukrug Nature Park.
On foot along the Schlei-Eider leg
The seventh stage of the Schlei-Eider-Elbe long-distance hiking trail passes through Hohenaspe and then continues through Halloh State Forest towards Itzehoe. This gives you a specific hiking option through the village as well as the cycling routes. Before setting out, it is worth checking the current trail markers.
Seasonal nature observations
According to a report dated 16 June 2026, a pair of cranes stays in Hohenaspe year-round. Wildlife sightings are seasonal and not guaranteed. A seasonal nature detail was also recorded on the Am Burndahl cycle path: blooming hollyhocks were reported there on 15 August 2025. This sighting is seasonal and does not indicate year-round flowering.
Discover more destinations: Itzehoe, Moorhusen, Heiligenstedten, Kaaks, Kollmar, Bokelrehm, Krempermoor, Krempe
Return to the regional travel overview: Steinburg.
