Niedersachsen family holidays and breaks

Niedersachsen (the unspeakable translates to “Lower Saxony”) is situated in the Northwest of Germany, bordering the Netherlands, the North Sea and the city of Hamburg. It is a large, rather rural federal state stretching from North Sea coastline down to the Harz Mountains, the northernmost alpine mountain range in Germany.

Niedersachsen is a classical holiday destination for German families. Sun and sand bathing at the North Sea coast or on its tiny cosy islands, a cycling vacation and booking a farm stay in the area “Lüneburger Heide” south of Hamburg are the favourites. Moreover, the region between Hamburg, Hanover and Bremen is known for having the most family attractions in Germany: fun parks, resorts, bird parks and zoos as well as the German Fairy Tale Road can be found in this idyllic landscape. Many farms there offer stays of any category, from basic (adventurous “Hay Hotels”) to luxury and a majority of the hosts do speak decent English.

Flying Time	2.5 hours
Carbon Footprint	0.7 tonnes CO2
Timezone	GMT +1
Local Currency	Euro

What to Do

Fun parks, Resorts and attractions for kids:
The highlights are Heide-Park Soltau*, the biggest fun park in Northern Germany with more than 50 roller coasters, a camp with cottages and a nice themed hotel. Serengeti Park Hodenhagen is a huge safari park with wild African animals roaming free in a resort. You can drive through by car or coach and pet a giraffe or feed monkeys. Lodges are on offer, too. A few miles away, Vogelpark(bird park) Walsrode is considered the largest of its kind in the world, with more than 4,500 species and a beautiful park landscape.
Other recommended attractions:

1. Hanover Adventure Zoo
2. Magic Park Verden
3. German Fairy-Tale Road
4. Autostadt Wolfsburg
5. phæno science center Wolfsburg
6. Dinosaur park Münchehagen
7. Snow Dome Bispingen

Most of these attractions are situated between Hamburg, Bremen and Hannover, so its best to also stay in this region which is called “Lüneburger Heide” (Lüneburg heath lands).

* Note: The last word of the parks names are mostly the town where they are situated (Soltau, Hodenhagen etc.)

Nature experience:
There are two National Parks in Niedersachsen and more than 10 nature parks. For hiking the NP in the Harz Mountains Southeast of Hanover is best. Here you can also follow a hiking trail along the former border between Eastern and Western Germany (“Grenzweg”).

On the North Sea coast the NP Wadden Sea protects the one of a kind biotope consisting of mudflats, islands and a long coastline. Kids like to walk the (indeed quite muddy) mudflats, look for the legendary lugworm and collect shells and stones. The seven islands along the coastline of Niedersachsen are car-free to a large extent and really good places to relax and for holidays with small kids.

Niedersachsen is the land of rivers with many streams, lakes and of course the coast. Why not try canoeing on one of the rivers, passing quiet forests, watching rare birds and maybe meeting a beaver at work? Suitable small and slow rivers can be found everywhere in Niedersachsen.

Where to Stay

Farm stays can be organised via a local association of farmers engaged in countryside holidays. Kids can play with pets, help on the farm, ride a tractor or on pony. For grown-ups, there are delicious organic meals, encounters with the locals and cultural sights as well as possibilities for cycling, walking and other things “active and outdoors”. They offer a search engine and personal advice. Parts of the website are in English. Dertour has an own e-catalogue on Niedersachsen (“Lower Saxony”) with many offers for families. 

Also take a look at some of our favourite hotels with partners Booking.com in and around Hamburg and the Lower Saxony region with Late Rooms.

When

Niedersachsen has a mild sea climate all year round. We recommend travelling there from April to October to get pleasant temperatures. For winter sports in the Harz Mountains, December to March is obviously the best season. New Year’s is a huge celebration in Germany, therefore you might consider spending it in one of the romantic towns (Celle, Hamlin, Goslar) or in the capital of Hanover to party with the locals and send some fire crackers into the sky.

How

By plane:
Airports are in Hanover, Bremen, Hamburg, Osnabrück/Münster, all of them also with low cost airline connections to the UK.

By train:
Nearly all small towns can be reached by train; from there, transfers are organised by most hotels and hosts.

By car and ferry:
Take a ferry to the Netherlands and then just a few hours of driving on the Autobahn…

Eat

Asparagus (in Germany usually the white version), a roast of moorland sheep, blue berries, of course fish and prawns from the coast, and buckwheat pancakes are typical. In the very North, it is customary to drink a special tea blend with a certain ceremony. Typically German: a vast variety of breads, cakes and gateau as well as sausages and potato dishes.

Cost

Niedersachsen offers good value for money. It’s always a good idea to avoid travel during the German school summer holidays, because prices are much higher during this period.
Some everyday costs are shown below:

• Hay Hotel per Night: 14 € (grown-up)
• Cottage per Night (4 Pers.): around 45 €
• Average meal for dinner: 12 €
• A Coffee: 1,50 – 2,00 €
• A Coke: 1,80 – 2,30 €
• Pony riding/30 min: 0 – 6 €
• Entrance fee Heide-Park: 30€ (day pass, 12 years and up)