Discover Rullstorf

Rullstorf combines an early village history with a historic Landwehr and an archaeological site. Around 1150, the settlement was founded as an original Rundling village with six farms. These details focus on different aspects: they describe the origins of the village, a barrier built later, and a site with archaeological finds at the edge of the geest above the Elbe valley. For planning your trip, they offer a concrete insight into the history and landscape of the place.

Rundling Village and Landwehr

The village’s founding around 1150 as a Rundling village with six farms is a notable starting point for understanding Rullstorf’s history. The Lüneburg Landwehr adds to this topic but highlights a different aspect: in Rullstorf, it was a barrier of earthworks and water-filled ditches built around 1480. Its original course ran south from Rullstorf via Neu Wendhausen to Deutsch Evern. This makes it possible to distinguish the specific description of the structure in Rullstorf from its longer original course. The village’s founding and the Landwehr, built around three centuries later, also represent different periods in the village’s history.

The Kronsberg and Finds from Rullstorf

The Rullstorfer Kronsberg is an archaeological site of around 24 hectares at the edge of the geest above the Elbe valley. Its approximate area and location give the site a distinctive place in the profile of the town. Unlike the Landwehr, whose original course includes several named places, the Kronsberg is described as an archaeological site in Rullstorf. The historic village layout, a barrier and an archaeological focus can therefore be found side by side in the area—distinct topics that you need not combine into a single historical destination when planning your trip.

Some finds from Rullstorf are displayed in museums elsewhere in the region. The “Schwanenfibel” (Swan Brooch), one of the finds from Rullstorf, is on display at the Museum Lüneburg. The grave with stallions and a deer, also among the finds from Rullstorf, is on display at the Lower Saxony State Museum in Hanover. These two museum exhibits add to the story of the finds, but they are in Lüneburg and Hanover respectively, not in Rullstorf. Before visiting a museum, check whether the relevant exhibit is still on display.

More places to explore in the wider Lüneburg destination

If you place Rullstorf in the broader context of the wider Lüneburg destination, you will find additional, distinct places to visit. Near Breetze, a district of Bleckede, the erratic boulder circle features boulders that bear witness to the glacial formation of the Elbe Urstromtal. It is freely accessible, and parking is available; check these details before your visit. In Schieringer Forest, between Barskamp and Walmsburg, there are megalithic tombs built during the Neolithic period, between 3000 and 2300 BC. A circular hiking trail leads from Walmsburg village square to the tombs. The sites in Schieringer Forest therefore date from a much earlier period than Rullstorf’s founding and the Landwehr.

Other regional attractions also differ clearly from Rullstorf’s local profile. The Lüneburg Ship Lift in Scharnebeck is the largest ship lift of its kind in Germany. The Elbtalaue Biosphaerium in Bleckede combines an aquarium landscape, live beavers and more than 1,000 m² of modern exhibition space. In Lüneburg, city and town hall tours showcase the historic atmosphere, with gabled and brick houses, old lanes and the Water Quarter. Lüneburg Water Tower has an observation platform at a height of 56 m, with views over Lüneburg and the surrounding area. Thus, the wider Lüneburg destination offers a choice of different travel interests alongside Rullstorf’s village history and archaeology, including technology, nature and urban heritage.

Here, Rullstorf is presented through its Rundling history, Landwehr and Kronsberg; other cultural and landscape attractions are located elsewhere in the wider Lüneburg destination. Base your search on which place and focus best suit your trip.

Discover more destinations: Brietlingen, Radbruch, Amelinghausen, Dahlenburg, Barum, Barnstedt, Deutsch Evern, Neetze.

View the wider travel overview: Lüneburg.