Discover Osnabrück
Accommodation in Osnabrück
A trip to Osnabrück can combine a wide range of discoveries: a circular trail to fossilised dinosaur tracks, history in museums, a treetop walkway and a long bike ride. The towns themselves also offer different highlights—from textile production to the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest and the history of brine. When choosing your holiday apartment, consider which experiences are most important to you during your stay and which places you would like to explore more closely.
Museums, crafts and history
At the Tuchmacher Museum Bramsche, fluffy wool blankets are made on working machines that are over 100 years old. The focus here is on a specific craft and its machinery. Those with a stronger interest in history can find exhibits about the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest at Museum and Park Kalkriese, presented in multimedia form and open to visitors.
The permanent exhibition at the Museum im Kloster offers another perspective on the past. Using the history of how the museum building has been used, it tells the story of three eras: the monastery from the 13th to the 18th century, the local and district administration in the 19th century, and the museum in the 20th century. The exhibition thus focuses on how the building’s use has changed over time.
Iburg Castle is the only surviving hilltop castle in the Osnabrück region. In Bad Iburg, this historic site is combined with a nature experience: the treetop walkway offers a forest experience along an almost 600-metre route. Its barrier-free access tower is over 30 metres high and affords panoramic views of Iburg Castle and the Teutoburg Forest. The walkway and its associated exhibition pavilion also provide insights into the geological history of the Teutoburg Forest; both are part of the UNESCO Global Geopark TERRA.vita.
Exploring on foot and by bike
At the Bad Essen-Barkhausen dinosaur tracks site, fossilised dinosaur tracks can be seen on a steep rock face. The visitor area includes two dinosaur replicas, detailed information boards and a circular trail. If you are planning a longer hike, you could consider the signposted Dinosaur Trail, a 16-kilometre circular route. The replicas and information boards offer a vivid introduction to the subject; the Dinosaur Trail provides an independent way to explore the area on foot.
For cycle tourists, the DiVa Tour is another option. It is 115 kilometres long, runs between Bramsche and Bad Essen, and includes a leisurely ride along the Mittelland Canal. Its length is an important point to consider when deciding whether this tour fits your cycling plans. The DiVa Tour is connected to public transport: listed services include trains operated by WestfalenBahn, NordWestBahn and Deutsche Bahn, the Bremen tram, and buses operated by Stadtwerke Osnabrück.
The history of brine and guided tours
In Bad Rothenfelde, two graduation tower structures dating from 1777 and 1824 form a large open-air inhalatorium. The historic brine walkway includes a 50-metre section that you can cross with dry feet via wooden walkways and metal grates. The structures and walkway are a distinct highlight for anyone interested in the history of brine and remarkable architecture.
At the Schnippenburg Museum, a public guided tour takes place year-round on the first Sunday of each month at 2:30 p.m. Themed tours and museum education activities can also be booked. They are offered at three locations: in the museum, at the archaeological site and at the Iron Age House. This allows you to engage with the history of Schnippenburg in different ways during your visit.
When looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to have a clear travel priority: would you rather explore museums and historic sites, spend time outdoors on foot, or discover the region by bike? The activities described offer different highlights, from a 16-kilometre hiking route to exhibitions and a 115-kilometre cycling tour.
Discover more places
More places in the Osnabrück region: Dissen am Teutoburger Wald, Merzen, Nortrup, Hasbergen, Glandorf, Wallenhorst, Atter and Bohmte.
Also explore Ostercappeln, Hilter am Teutoburger Wald, Eggermühlen, Badbergen, Rieste, Quakenbrück, Osnabrück and Melle.
Other destinations include Bad Laer, Georgsmarienhütte, Bramsche, Bissendorf, Belm, Bad Rothenfelde, Bad Iburg and Bad Essen.
Also included among the places you can continue to explore are Ankum, Alfhausen, Gehrde, Bippen, Menslage, Fürstenau, Bersenbrück and Hagen am Teutoburger Wald.
Another place to explore is Hesepe.
For the regional travel overview: Lower Saxony.
