Bendestorf: Film History, the Seeve and Forest Trails

Bendestorf brings together the Seeve, film history and a variety of trails through forest and heathland. The film museum and other local places of remembrance add cultural highlights; on foot and by bike, the focus is on different landscapes and routes. Swimming is also an option in season. You can tailor your trip to the topics that interest you in Bendestorf.

Film history and cultural sites

The Bendestorf Film Museum is housed in the former studio building of the Bendestorf film studios. On display are cameras and projectors used in film production, as well as costumes, props and historical documents. The centrepiece of the museum is a largely original producer’s cinema from the 1950s. The museum also provides space for workshops and exhibitions.

The film history extends beyond the museum: between 1948 and 1950, Rolf Meyer built a 14,000-square-metre studio complex in Bendestorf with complete recording facilities. The Rolf-Meyer-Weg commemorates Bendestorf’s film era. These sites put a museum visit in the context of local history, without requiring you to follow a set route connecting them all.

The film museum is accessible. Visits and guided tours are available by appointment; arrange your visit before you arrive. In the church in Bendestorf, enamel paintings in the altar area depict the life and proclamation of Jesus. The twelve-stop organ was inaugurated with a celebratory concert in 1971.

On foot through forest, heathland and local history

One trail passes the Thiemannscheune and the film museum, then reaches the old forester’s house via forest paths. On the way back, it passes a megalithic tomb before reaching the town centre. Another route leads through the northern part of Bendestorf into neighbouring Harmstorf, then along the old school to the Seeve lowlands. Towards Jesteburg, a trail runs through the forest and past an area of heathland.

One route follows mostly well-maintained hiking trails with moderate inclines through beech and spruce forest. Along the way are a kettle hole and a small, rudimentarily preserved megalithic tomb. Another trail runs through lush beech forest, crosses the fairytale hiking trail and passes several geocaching points. On the way back towards Bendestorf, it passes the Bendestorf Mill.

The trails offer distinctly different experiences: one route combines film-related and local-history sites, while others lead through forest and past heathland or take in a kettle hole and a megalithic tomb. If you’d like to explore on foot, you can choose a route based on which of these stops and landscapes interest you most.

Cycling and swimming

The film museum is located directly on the 40-kilometre Seeve Cycle Route. The free Heide-Shuttle Ring 3 serves Bendestorf seasonally and carries a bicycle trailer. Check the shuttle’s seasonal operating dates before your trip.

At the Bendestorf weir, the Seeve offers a place to sit and, in summer, to swim. Swimming conditions and access may vary by season; check before your visit. Bendestorf outdoor pool has a swimming pool, a separate pool for small children and a Kneipp pool. Check the seasonal opening and facilities before you arrive.

Harburg as a wider travel area

Harburg also offers a regional setting for cycling and hiking trips. The Harburg district has a dense network of cycling routes, including 1,000 kilometres of signposted tourist cycle paths. Opened in 2012, the Heidschnuckenweg runs for 223 kilometres from Hamburg through the districts of Harburg, Heidekreis and Celle, as well as through more than 30 large and small heathland areas in the North and South Heath. The trail is divided into 13 stages and complemented by twelve Heath Loops ranging from 1.4 to 20.9 kilometres in length.

Discover more destinations: Garlstorf, Neu Wulmstorf, Brackel, Appel, Gödenstorf, Hollenstedt, Sottorf, Egestorf

For the broader travel overview: Harburg.