Discover Rastede: Palace, Gardens and Leisure Activities

Rastede combines an extensive garden landscape with Neoclassical architecture, cultural venues and leisure activities. If you are looking for a hotel in Rastede, you can plan your stay around what matters most to you: the palace and Palais Garden, walking and cycling trails, historic buildings or swimming pools. The highlights below will help you find the right activities for your trip.

Gardens, trails and park art

Rastede Palace Garden now covers 330 ha. Four well-signposted circular hiking trails and two distance routes of up to 10 km run through the palace park. You can explore the park on foot or by bike. Among its features are the Ellernteich pond, with a water fountain and horse-head sculptures as works of art. A stroll through Palais Garden follows winding paths past open areas, a small stream, holly and conifers. The garden, which covers around 5 ha and is designed in the English landscape garden style, lies opposite Rastede Palace.

Dogs are welcome in the palace park, but must be kept on a lead. The tournament ground is located at the edge of the park and hosts several major events each year. If you would like to combine your visit with an event, check the dates for your travel plans.

Palace and architectural history

Rastede Palace is the first secular Neoclassical building in the Oldenburg region. The present building is based on a Baroque country palace, construction of which began in 1756. Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig had it remodelled in the Neoclassical style from 1779 to 1791; the architect was J. G. Becker. The palace park is also home to the Temple of Venus, a Neoclassical domed rotunda built between 1791 and 1793.

The listed Palais ensemble also adds to the cultural offering: since 1999, the art and cultural association has hosted cultural events there. The furnishings of the Catholic St. Mary's Church, built in 1950 and remodelled in 1990, include a statue of the Virgin Mary and a distinctive baptismal font. The font comes from a column base from Rastede Monastery, which dates from 1091 to 1529. Beneath St. Ulrich's Church lies an 11th-century crypt, built as a lower church for the noble couple who founded it.

Leisure activities and swimming pools

At Janßen-Hof, there is a 5 ha swingolf course with nine holes. Each hole is between 90 and 300 m long, and swingolf is suitable for the whole family. Adventure golf at Janßen-Hof is another option: 18 artificial-turf holes wind past various obstacles, including wooden, water and stone features. The artificial turf means the course can be played at any time.

Rastede outdoor pool is on Mühlenstraße, right next to the palace park. It has a 50 m swimming pool with diving towers up to 5 m high, a non-swimmer pool with a wide-wave slide and a 50 m paddling channel. Rastede indoor pool is in the middle of Palais Garden. It has a large non-swimmer pool with a fun slide, a counter-current system and water jets, as well as a 25 m swimming pool with diving towers up to 3 m high. There is also a warm-water pool with a depth of 0.30 to 1.35 m and a whirlpool in the winter garden. If you are choosing between the pools, the facilities and pools mentioned here can help guide your decision.

Discover more destinations: Edewecht, Apen, Bad Zwischenahn, Westerstede, Wiefelstede.

Return to the regional travel overview: Ammerland.