Discover Wardenburg: Bell Tower, St. Mary's Church and the Lethe

Landmarks and paths along the Lethe

The bell tower and St. Mary's Church provide two distinct cultural points of reference: the tower is a landmark that also appears on the municipal coat of arms, while the church is part of the Evangelical Lutheran community. As you explore Wardenburg, you can consider these landmarks and the church side by side, without needing an extensive local history as a prerequisite.

The Lethe Nature Trail is an approximately three-kilometre circular route through the Wardenburg Lethe lowlands. It lies west of the centre of Wardenburg in the Lethe nature reserve and starts at Wardenburg watermill, by the Lethe bridge. Its starting point, circular route and approximate length provide a clear framework for exploring nature. In contrast to the local landmarks of the tower and church, the route itself is the main focus here.

Crafts and collections in the municipality

In the municipality of Wardenburg, the Benthullen Peat and Farm Museum complements the local landmarks with an extensive collection. On display are agricultural and craft tools, clothing, leisure items, and household and everyday objects from the 1950s. The different categories range from tools and clothing to items related to home life and leisure. This means the collection cannot be reduced to a single craft or type of object.

Bunjes Forge is another of the municipality’s craft-related attractions. It is located on Friedrichstraße in Wardenburg, is over 300 years old, and its blacksmith’s workshop has been preserved in its original condition. Visits are possible by prior arrangement only. If you would like to include the workshop in your plans, take this visiting requirement into account.

The “Wardenburger Landtouren” guided tours offer a different focus: options include walks, cycle tours, hikes, visits and 360-degree tours; coach tours are available on request. The formats range from tours on foot or by bike to visits and guided tours. Check the current programme for specific departure times.

Culture and landscape in the wider Oldenburg destination

The wider Oldenburg destination has further, distinct cultural attractions to offer. The Cistercian monastery of Hude, founded in 1232 and known as “Portus Sancte Marie” — “Harbour of Saint Mary” — quickly became the spiritual, economic and political centre of the eastern part of the County of Oldenburg. The monastery ruins preserve remains of a three-aisled basilica with an extensive transept. The church was originally more than 57 metres long and more than 24 metres wide.

The museum at Hude Monastery displays models illustrating the building’s history, archaeological finds, and maps and texts about the history of the Cistercians. There is also a scriptorium where visitors can practise writing with a quill. The models and finds thus offer different focal points: the building’s history on the one hand and archaeological evidence on the other. The texts and scriptorium broaden the perspective to include history and writing culture.

The Pestrup burial ground south of Wildeshausen offers a contrast in terms of both landscape and archaeology. It is an archaeological site of national significance, set in a heath and pine forest landscape, and the largest continuous heathland area in the district of Oldenburg. Shorter and longer walks are possible there. The region therefore offers a historic monastery complex and an extensive heathland area, each representing quite different themes.

The Hunte canoe route from Wildeshausen to Oldenburg also offers a different way to explore the area: the route is 40 kilometres long and has 11 launch and landing points, 10 picnic areas and 11 information boards along the nature trail. The river flows through the Wildeshausen Geest, past sandbanks, steep riverbanks and forests. Compared with the approximately three-kilometre Lethe loop, it is a longer journey on the water; details of its route and facilities help put these two different activities into perspective.

What to consider when choosing your accommodation

When looking for a holiday apartment in Wardenburg, you can first consider which themes are most important to your trip: local landmarks and the church, crafts and collections, or the nature trail along the Lethe. Attractions across the wider Oldenburg destination add monastery history, heathland and canoeing to these options.

Discover more destinations: Kirchhatten, Hatten, Kirchseelte, Wildeshausen, Ganderkesee, Oldenburg, Harpstedt, Hude.

Go to the wider travel overview: Oldenburg.