Playspot: Germany, Hamburg area, Lüneburger Heide, River Luhe, Luhe Walze.

What's it like

Luhe: the best (probably the only) playspot in northern Germany. It is formed by a part of a damaged weir.

At high water levels there is a steep wave, at lower levels the weir creates a nice but flat stopper that invites for cartwheels and blasts. The hole is quite flat and rocky, so you should only use short playboats (under 240 cm) and have a fast roll. 200 meters above and 15 meters after the stopper there are some nice currents to practice eddyline-moves.

Best times are spring and autumn. In summer it's crowded with playboaters but at least the water is nice and warm. Good fun at weekends, when lots of tourists in rented canoes come and capsize when paddling down the weir.

How to get there

Take the Autobahn A7 Hamburg-Hannover. 40 kilometers south of Hamburg take the exit Thieshope. Now head towards Winsen/Luhe. After 5 kms you get to the village Pattensen, from where you head towards the village Bahlburg. 1 kilometer after Pattensen, on a big crossing with traffic-lights, head right to Garstedt. After 5 kilometers, in the middle of Garstedt, go left toward Vierhöfen. After 1.5 kms you get to a bridge over the river Luhe with a car park on your left. 300 meters after this bridge a path branches off at the right side of the road. Follow this path exactly 1450 meters and you'll arrive at the Luhe-Walze. You can park on the side of the path and walk to the playspot.

More info

Since 1998 there have been big problems with landowners, hunters, fishermen and the locals of the village because some freaks threw big techno-parties along the river, startled the wildlife and damaged the banks of the river. It is unknown what will happen to the playspot if these events will repeat in future.

Appeal to playboaters: Do not camp or park at the stopper; do not change the stopper by putting in wooden planks or pulling out the rocks at the banks and be friendly to the locals and the fishermen.

For further info about water levels and the state of the negotiations with the local authorities concerning the future of the playspot, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it : +49 4181 925 99 77.

Locals

In summer you'll meet a lot of playboaters at weekends, crowds of tourists in rented canoes and some fishermen.

Events

Once a year in spring or autumn the Luhe-Walzen-Rodeo takes place, a fun rodeo that is part of the Northern Rodeo Classics.

Info sources

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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