Altes Land

In the twelfth century the archbishop of Bremen brought in Dutch settlers who knew how to drain marsh, and they diked and ditched this stretch of Elbe marsh into farmland, leaving a landscape of long strip fields, ditches and dikes still in use. It is now the largest contiguous fruit-growing region in northern Europe, mostly apples and cherries on some ten thousand hectares. The farmhouses are Fachwerk with elaborately carved and painted gateway arches called Prunkpforten, showing the owner's wealth. Blossom in late April and early May draws visitors, and farm shops sell direct at harvest.

History

The name is a mistranslation of the Low Saxon Olland, from Holland, recalling the Dutch settlers who drained and colonised the marsh; the first colonisation agreement dates from 1113, under Archbishop Friedrich I of Bremen, and the municipality of Hollern takes its name from the Dutch. The settlers laid out Marschhufendörfer, villages with farmyards along a street and their land stretching behind, and the region, 143 km2 in all, is now the largest continuous fruit-growing area in northern Europe, 76.8% of its trees apples and 12.7% cherries (Wikipedia, Altes Land).

What you'll find

• The Prunkpforten - carved and painted farm gateways on the old houses.
• The blossom - apple and cherry flowering in late April and early May.
• The dike landscape - strip fields and ditches from medieval Dutch drainage.
• The farm shops - direct sales at harvest through late summer and autumn.

When to go

Late April and early May for the blossom, September for harvest. Blossom timing shifts by a week or two with the season. Cycling the dikes is the usual way round.

Practical notes

Blossom is short and weather dependent. It is working farmland with limited formal attractions. Cycling is the practical way to see it.

Nearby

Hamburg lies east; Stade is west.

Key facts