Discover Gerdau: Church, River and Trails
Accommodation in Gerdau
St. Michaelis stands at the center of Gerdau and brings together architectural and church history. Bohlsen serves as a rest stop for cyclists and waterway travelers; it also has a canoe launch, and the Golddörfer hiking trail passes through the village. The key to your choice is whether you are primarily interested in a church building, water activities or routes through several villages. The area's distinctive features offer concrete points of reference to help you decide.
St. Michaelis and its architectural history
St. Michaelis stands at the center of Gerdau. The oldest part is the rectangular nave; its fieldstone walls probably date from the 13th and 14th centuries. The church was built on the foundations of a Gothic brick church and renovated in 1890. The term “nave” refers to the building's main interior space and helps identify this oldest section.
The furnishings include two remarkable paintings by church painter Rudolf Schäfer. In September 2025, the Uelzen church district reported that St. Michaelis is a pilgrimage and cycling church and that a bicycle repair station is part of the visitor facilities. Check whether the station is currently available before relying on it.
The Gerdau Valley and routes through the region
The villages in the municipality of Gerdau are located in the Gerdau Valley. The Gerdau is considered a clean, naturally preserved heathland stream. The wider area around Gerdau is characterized by gentle hills, forests, open heath and heathland; elevations in this part of Lower Saxony are moderate. There are numerous easy hikes, road cycling routes and running trails around Gerdau.
Bohlsen serves as a rest stop for cyclists and waterway travelers; it also has a canoe launch. The Golddörfer hiking trail passes through Bohlsen. The 16-kilometer Gerdau Tour runs from Groß Süstedt to Uelzen via Gerdau, Bohlsen, Hansen, Holdenstedt and Veerßen. Another option on the water is the Gerdau canoe route, which is suitable for solo paddlers, small groups and light boats.
Local highlights in Bohlsen
At the Bohlsener MĂĽhle, the focus is on its products: the mill shop sells the mill's products on site. This adds a direct connection to the local mill to the walking and water-based activities.
Uelzen as a wider destination
In the wider destination of Uelzen, the Hundertwasser railway station in Uelzen provides a distinctive architectural highlight. It was created as a project for the Expo 2000 World Exhibition in Hanover and is one of the last works by Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Its design brings together art, ecology and modernity. From the station forecourt, the “Path of Stones” leads into Uelzen's town center; it features 21 artistically painted rock sculptures.
Another historic landmark in the wider destination of Uelzen is the Ebstorf Map at Ebstorf Abbey. It was probably created around 1300, measures about 13 square meters and is considered the largest known medieval world map. The Uelzen area thus offers a variety of cultural themes: modern architecture, public art and a medieval world map.
Discover more destinations
Rätzlingen, Wriedel, Himbergen, Uelzen, Bad Bodenteich, Hanstedt, Barum, Suhlendorf
Back to the main travel overview: Uelzen.
