Explore Göhlen through the traces of early iron smelting and its cycling routes. In the district of Leussow, a neo-Gothic church and the renaturalised Dörchforthsbeck add to the picture.
Iron Smelting in Göhlen
The remains of more than 500 bloomery furnaces, iron slag and a blacksmith’s workplace attest to one of northern Germany’s largest iron-smelting sites in Göhlen. A reconstructed bloomery furnace stands at the edge of the village inside a glass case. Here, visitors can see how iron was extracted from bog iron ore around 1,600 years ago. The archaeological findings and the reconstruction illustrate different aspects: the furnace remains show the scale of the site, while the replica furnace demonstrates the extraction process.
A historical smelting event on 18 August 2005 links the replica to past practice: bog iron ore, wood and peat were used to produce iron in the bloomery furnace, following the Germanic iron-smelting methods practised in Göhlen in the 4th and 5th centuries.
Cycling: Half-Day Tours and Day Trips
The 24 km Kleine Klump Tour is a circular route for a half-day outing, suitable for families with children and less experienced cyclists. It starts in Glaisin and Göhlen and passes the Germanic smelting site and the bloomery furnace model in Göhlen. The route thus links the archaeological sites with a manageable time commitment.
For a full day out, choose the 46 km Raseneisenstein-Dörfer Tour. It leads through the Griese Gegend and via Göhlen and is classed as a day trip for experienced cyclists. The two options therefore offer a half-day tour of 24 km and a day trip of 46 km, and are also distinguished by their respective suitability for cyclists.
Göhlen is a stop and a place along the Raseneisenstein Cycle Path – Village Tour. The entire route is marked with blue TOUR signs. Overall, it runs mostly across flat, level terrain, has few inclines and generally follows easy-to-ride paths. Weather and maintenance can affect trail conditions; check the current conditions before setting off.
Leussow: Church and Renaturalisation
In the district of Leussow, the church, churchyard and rectory are a visitor attraction. The landmark church was built in 1872/73 in the neo-Gothic style, replacing a Romanesque brick building with a wooden tower. The site therefore brings together two clearly distinct building periods.
The Dörchforthsbeck in Leussow also links natural and local history. It was renaturalised with EU funding, enabling animal and plant species that had disappeared to be reintroduced. The former bathing establishment was incorporated into the renaturalisation project. The resulting area is also used for recreation and relaxation by people from outside the municipality. The municipality of Göhlen is part of the region of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Flusslandschaft Elbe Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Culture in the wider Ludwigslust-Parchim destination
In the wider destination of Ludwigslust-Parchim, Ludwigslust Palace offers a different historical perspective. It was the former residence of the Mecklenburg dukes and is at the centre of an almost completely preserved late Baroque town complex, with a former court church and an English-style landscape park. The ensemble of palace, park and town is known as the “Little Versailles of the North”.
Discover more destinations: Leussow, Groß Laasch, Lüblow, Lübesse, Uelitz, Sülstorf, Bresegard Bei Eldena, Wöbbelin
View the overview of the wider destination: Amt Ludwigslust-Land.
