Discover Vechta: moorland, trails and culture

Hiking and cycling in the district

The district has 31 hiking routes through floodplain and moorland landscapes, forests and hills, as well as past historic sights and natural monuments. The trails are marked according to the quality criteria of the German Hiking Association and have consistent signage. The 5.2-kilometre Hochzeitsweg in Vechta is a signposted circular route through the Zitadellenpark and the Hochzeitswald, as well as along the Moorbach stream. If you are looking for a longer hiking route, the Panoramaweg Dammer Berge is the longest route in the district’s network of hiking trails.

For cycling tours, there is an approximately 870-kilometre network of cycle paths. There are also 16 themed cycling routes, including “Discovering aristocratic estates” and “Art, culture and nature.” The themes focus on different things: one on aristocratic estates, another on art, culture and nature. The “Around the Dammer Berge” cycling tour passes through the town of Damme and the municipalities of Holdorf, Neuenkirchen-Vörden and Steinfeld. Another way to explore on foot is the 24-kilometre Kardinalsweg, which connects Damme and Dinklage and is divided into five stops, or four stages.

Vechta railway station can serve as a starting point for a city tour.

History, culture and places of remembrance

The Zeughaus Museum tells the story of the Bronze Age, the Middle Ages and the Thirty Years’ War across three floors with step-free access. The building’s more recent past as a prison until 1991 is also covered. Many exhibits are designed to be touched and interacted with. Along with the Zeughaus, the Kaponier is the only surviving fortification building from Vechta’s former citadel and now displays art from the region.

The Memorial to Human Dignity commemorates 88 people with disabilities from the district of Vechta who fell victim to the Nazi regime’s killing of patients. The memorial and the information there are accessible without barriers. In Lohne, the Industrial Museum makes 200 years of Lohne’s industrial history accessible to the public in an exhibition space covering 1,000 square metres. Those interested in archaeology and regional history can visit the archaeological and historical information centre ArchäoVisbek in Visbek. It presents historical evidence and finds from recent excavations and was inaugurated in May 2018.

Burg Dinklage also offers a historical and religious connection: Benedictine nuns founded St. Scholastika Abbey there in 1949. Guests are welcome to attend services in the abbey church.

Moorland, water and other activities

The Goldenstedt Nature Conservation and Information Centre (NIZ), also known as the “House in the Moor,” opens up the moorland with a moor experience trail, an underground moor tunnel and the Moorbioskopion. A guided trip on the 11-horsepower moor railway, led by a knowledgeable guide, takes about an hour and a half. The NIZ café serves regional buckwheat specialities such as buckwheat pancakes and buckwheat cake.

In summer, the Hartensbergsee Recreation Park offers swimming at a sandy beach and on spacious sunbathing lawns. There is also an 18-hole mini-golf course right by the lake. If you are looking for another sporting activity, Gut Welpe in Vechta has a well-maintained 18-hole golf course in Welper Wald. Bee-Park is located between the Old Town Hall and the northern branch of the Vechtaer Moorbach; it has a short walking route as well as play and fitness equipment.

A special event in Vechta is the Stoppelmarkt: it lasts six days, and every year more than 500 fairground operators set up their attractions on the 160,000-square-metre fairground. For more information about places in the area, you can also discover Goldenstedt and Bakum.

For the broader travel overview: Lower Saxony.