From 1539 to 1549, Gifhorn was the residence of Duke Franz of Brunswick and Lüneburg. Duke Franz ruled from a magnificent moated castle, which today houses the Historical Museum, among other things. The museum in the Gifhorn Welfenschloss is the ideal starting point for a long walk along the extensive castle meadows and along the castle lake.
A wooden bridge leads over the castle moat to the castle lake. A little further north is the Mühlensee. Both lakes are fed by the heath river Ise. From the footpath you can admire the impressive buildings of the International Mill Open Air Museum. The museum displays 14 mills from countries all over the world. The golden domes of the Russian Orthodox wooden church can be seen from afar. The Gifhorn castle meadows are a popular place for events. Every year at the beginning of September, thousands of yellow ducks swim against each other for a good cause at the Gifhorn Duck Race. Musical performances find an extraordinary setting here.
For Gifhorn residents and their guests, the castle meadows are a social meeting place. Whether joggers, walkers, water sports enthusiasts on the lakes or on the Ise - people meet here