Schäferhaus

Schäferhaus Foundation Land: 

Learn more at various stations about the importance of the semi-open grazing landscapes as well as the archaeological and historical aspects of landscape development.

Don't be surprised if you encounter Scottish Highland cattle, Galloways, and small Konik wild horses in this special landscape. The animals act as landscape caretakers and maintain a semi-open grazing landscape where dry grasslands and poor grasslands alternate with dense shrubbery and forest. 

This landscape is the habitat for many rare animal and plant species, such as the mining bee, purple emperor butterfly, mountain sandbell, heath carnation, and many more.

On a hot summer day with shimmering heat, you feel like you are in another world in the northern part of the Schäferhaus foundation land. At first glance, you might think you have been transported to the African savanna. However, due to the history - no intensive agriculture, decades of military use, and now more than ten years of grazing with Galloways and Koniks - a landscape has emerged that very much resembles that of southern Africa.

Take a walk on the beautifully laid out circular hiking trail and discover historical traces, such as the Hörnerplatz as a symbol of the oxen road, the wooden silhouette of a forest elephant that once lived here, or reconstructed burial mounds.

Please do not leave the paths! There is a leash obligation for dogs throughout the area. Please also note that the grazing animals must not be fed.

Pilgrim Route:

The pilgrim route, also known as the "Via Jutlandica," is a cross-border German-Danish long-distance hiking trail. The route follows the historic oxen road. The same path along which thousands of oxen were driven from Jutland to the Elbe in the early modern period was often used by pilgrims in the Middle Ages on their way to Rome or Santiago de Compostela in Spain. 

The pilgrim route still represents a pilgrimage connection from the Scandinavian countries to Spain today. It stretches over 200 kilometers from the German-Danish border through Schleswig, Eckernförde, and Kiel to Lübeck. Along the route, shelters invite you to rest at some spots, including here at Schäferhaus.