Metjendorf: Cycling Routes, History and Culture in Wiefelstede

Cycling routes, the memorial to Elisabeth and its associated history, and the facilities at the CASA multi-generational house give Metjendorf specific points of interest. The Wiefelstede destination also has its own cultural history. If you are looking for a hotel in Metjendorf, it helps to organise these highlights according to the purpose of your trip.

Cycling connections on different scales

The connecting route “Ole Karkpadd”, designated for walking and cycling, is part of the “Fliegerhorst Oldenburg and Wiefelstede Leisure Route”. It connects the municipalities of Wiefelstede and Bad Zwischenahn in the districts of Metjendorf and Ofen via the former airbase site. For orientation, both the name of the leisure route and the connection between the municipalities and the named districts are important.

In 2020, plans called for an approximately 900-metre-long and 2.50-metre-wide section to be surfaced with asphalt from calendar week 46. This reflects the plans at the time, not a statement about the surface today. If you are planning to use this section for a trip, check the current surface and accessibility beforehand.

Route Oldenburg 1, at 37 kilometres long, covers a different scale: it starts at the Lappan junction, runs via Rauhehorst and Peerdebrok to Metjendorf, and branches off there towards Neuenkruge. The lengths are therefore not directly comparable: for the Ole Karkpadd, the figure refers to a single section; for Oldenburg 1, it refers to the entire route. The route and the section answer different planning questions. Conditions and signage on Oldenburg 1 may change; check both before your ride.

For cycling travellers, the Metjendorf Bicycle Centre, with its bicycle repair service, is another specific point of interest. Alongside the routes described, a local repair service and routes of different lengths are therefore also worth considering when planning your trip.

Open spaces at the CASA multi-generational house

The grounds of the CASA multi-generational house in Wiefelstede-Metjendorf include a basketball court, a DFB mini football pitch, skatepark elements and open spaces. This includes two named sports facilities, elements for skate activities and open areas. It describes different types of facilities in one place, rather than highlighting a single sporting focus.

The Elisabethstein and its history

The Elisabethstein was erected in honour of Grand Duchess Elisabeth. A historical story is associated with the memorial stone: Elisabeth is said to have been driven north, far beyond the town limits, to “Metjengerdeshaus” at the beginning of the afternoon each day for a time, to spend time in the scenic countryside. The story gives the memorial a biographical context; it describes a journey in the past and a stay in nature. The specific purpose of the Elisabethstein and the historical story associated with it can thus be considered as two distinct aspects.

Cultural history in the Wiefelstede destination

In Wiefelstede, St. John’s Church was consecrated in 1057 by Archbishop Adalbert of Bremen. It is considered the oldest church in the Ammerland. The Wiefelstede Local History Museum also offers a distinct perspective on the destination’s history: its changing exhibitions cover cultural history, everyday history and regional artistic work. As the exhibitions change, the content on display may vary.

The garden of the Local History Museum has become an open-air museum with a permanent exhibition on trade and crafts at the technological level of the 1920s and 1930s. The exhibition includes a shoemaker’s workshop, a hairdresser’s shop, a wheelwright’s workshop, an old blacksmith’s forge, a bakery shop and a colonial goods store. The museum’s changing exhibitions and its permanent display of historical trades offer different points of focus: cultural and everyday history on the one hand, and specific crafts and commercial activities on the other.

In Wiefelstede, five audio stations about the history of the area are located at the trail marker by the Wemkendorf burial mound, the Local History Museum, St. John’s Church, Bokeler Burg and Heinrich Kunst Haus. The trail marker by the burial mound marks a Bronze Age chain of burial mounds. Barbara Jaros designed it as a two-metre-high concrete stele with a bronze-cast ornamental pin. It is part of the “Forgotten Places” project of the Ammerland Art Trail. Before using the audio tour, check whether it and the telephone service are available.

Discover more destinations: Nuttel, Mollberg, Gristede, Dingsfelde, Hollen, Spohle, Neuenkruge.

For the higher-level travel overview: Wiefelstede.