Discover Bodenrode-Westhausen

The cycling route and local connections

According to the administrative community, the Leine-Heide Cycle Route passes through Bodenrode-Westhausen and directly by St. Lawrence Church, which is located in the centre of Bodenrode. The route is over 420 kilometres long and links the uplands of the Leinebergland with the Lüneburg Heath and the Hanseatic city of Hamburg. This means that the route’s specific connection to the village centre sits within a much wider stretch: the cycle route passes through the village, but extends far beyond it as a regional route.

If you are considering a holiday apartment, this distinction can help you decide what to focus on. Your plans can centre on the cycle route and the sights in Bodenrode, or you can also include other destinations in the Eichsfeld region. The cycle route and local history are two clearly distinct themes, though they cover different scales.

Church, Stations of the Cross and Wiener Hof

Dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, St. Lawrence Church is the focal point of the Catholic parish village of Bodenrode. Its location in the village centre connects directly with the route of the Leine-Heide Cycle Route. Religious local history and a cycle route described as extending across the region thus meet in one place.

The Stations of the Cross near Bodenrode offer a different way to explore the area: during a short walk, 14 images carved in stone depict the Passion of Jesus. The path provides a brief religious point of interest alongside the cycle route. If you are interested in such depictions, it offers a specific subject that differs from the route-focused experience of cycling.

Another historic landmark is the Baroque Wiener Hof in Bodenrode. It was originally used as an inn.

More destinations in the Eichsfeld region

Beyond the local landmarks in Bodenrode-Westhausen, the Eichsfeld region has further historic destinations to explore. Bodenstein Castle was first mentioned in a document in 1098 and stands on a promontory of the Ohm Hills. Guided tours about the history of the former lords of the castle, the von Wintzingerode family, are regularly offered there; visitors can also visit the small chapel with its baptismal angel.

In Heilbad Heiligenstadt, the Eichsfeld Museum, housed in the Baroque Jesuit college, presents the history, culture, religious life and folklore of the Eichsfeld across three floors. The Dün and Iberg hills around the town also offer excellent conditions for longer hikes on certified TOP hiking trails. These examples appeal to different interests: a museum visit and culture on the one hand, longer hikes on the other.

Other viewpoints add to the range of destinations in the region. Burg Scharfenstein has a viewing point on its terrace and a 20-metre-high tower completed in 2016. From there, the panoramic view extends across the Upper Leine Valley, the Eichsfeld Basin, the Ohm Hills and the eastern Dün; on a clear day, it reaches as far as the Harz Mountains. At the Hanstein Castle ruins, the accessible west tower offers a sweeping panoramic view over the Eichsfeld and the surrounding forests in clear weather, and as far as the Brocken when visibility is good.

Regional traditions and cuisine can also enrich your travel plans. Every year on Easter Monday in Dingelstädt, children take part in the Steckenpferd-Reiten hobby-horse ride around St. Mary’s Church: preschoolers ride wooden horses decorated with little bells and colourful ribbons. Air-dried sausage is considered an Eichsfeld speciality and is known beyond the region.

When choosing your holiday apartment, you can use this to make a practical distinction: would you like your stay to focus mainly on the cycle route and historic landmarks in Bodenrode, or would you also like to include destinations and themes from the Eichsfeld region?

Discover more destinations: Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Hohengandern, Wahlhausen, Büttstedt, Teistungen, Kleinbartloff, Bornhagen, Wachstedt.

View the full travel guide: Eichsfeld.