The fisherman's cottages

The architecture of the village can be divided into two distinct styles which can still be seen today: Thatched cottages from before 1893 and “Modern” houses from 1893 – present (check out the German article "Es brennt!" - it's a fire).

The oldest cottages with their eaves along the path date all the way back to the 17th Century. The construction materials were harvested from the immediate area – an ancient method which has returned as the trend “sustainable construction”. The wood for the timber beams was felled in a nearby forest, the joists were sealed with a local natural brown local tar, the walls were coated with lime from the river banks, and the thatch for the roofs was harvested from the expansive swamp regions that still grows on large sections of the Trave banks. The interior was designed to fit their lives and work: in the center of the houses is a large room built to hold a giant kettle for the tanning and conservation of their nets. This room also contains a large arched oven. On both ends are two tiny living spaces. The roof lays directly on the exterior walls – an ideal sheltered workspace for mending nets and drying wet clothing.