In Francop, part of Hamburg's Altes Land, the clocks tick a little slower. Extensive orchards and picturesque half-timbered houses define the picture, which attracts many day trippers, especially during the flowering period. In the neighboring districts of Neuenfelde and Cranz, a few housing estates with multi-family houses have been established, but Francop has been able to retain its village atmosphere to this day. But there is no village center in the true sense: Almost all the houses of the almost 700 inhabitants are on one long street. The building stock consists mainly of old half-timbered houses. These sometimes magnificent farmhouses with their carvings and decorations are an additional attraction for many day trippers in the Altes Land. Some of them are even listed as historical monuments. They enjoy the panorama of the old Elbe dyke on the Alte Süderelbe, which forms a kind of green wall directly opposite the houses on the other side of the street. Behind the dike there is not a river, as one might think, but the orchards of the Francoper courtyards. In Francop, fruit growing sets the tone. Most of the families have lived in the Altes Land region, the largest fruit-growing region in Central Europe, for generations and continue rural traditions. Seventy percent of the fruit grown in Francop is apples, followed by cherries and other soft fruits. In addition to classics such as Elstar, Jonagold and Holsteiner Cox, old varieties such as the Finkenwerder Herbstprinz or the Seestermüher lemon apple have also become increasingly important again in recent years.