Stemshorn: Schäferhof and landscape conservation

Schäferhof and landscape conservation in Stemshorn

Stemshorn can be understood through Schäferhof and its contribution to landscape conservation. The shepherd at Schäferhof in Stemshorn uses Diepholz moorland sheep to manage the landscape in the “Ochsenmoor” and “Westliche Dümmerniederung” nature reserves. This local topic brings together a particular breed of sheep, a shepherd’s work, and two named protected areas. If you are interested in landscape conservation and nature protection, this connection provides a precise point of reference for Stemshorn. It offers a clear nature theme and a local point of orientation when planning your trip.

At the Naturpark Dümmer Apple Day at Schäferhof in Stemshorn on 11 October 2026, visitors could have their own apples, pears, and quinces pressed into juice using the mobile “Dümmerland Saft” press. The event combined visitors’ own fruit with a specific on-site processing activity and added a culinary aspect to the landscape conservation theme.

The Schäferhof café is open on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. Check whether the café is open on the day of your trip before setting out.

In the wider Diepholz travel destination

The wider Diepholz travel destination offers a broader view of nature and culture. Diepholz district includes two tourism regions and two nature parks. One example of the area’s nature attractions is the approximately two-kilometre-long moorland discovery trail in the Diepholz Moor. Ten informative stations bring the moorland ecosystem to life in every season.

Moorwelten in Wagenfeld is a multimedia experience devoted to moorland and climate. The moorland railway stops right at Moorwelten and takes visitors to the “Moorpadd” nature discovery trail and the hiking trails in Neustädter Moor. The moorland discovery trail introduces visitors to the ecosystem through informative stations, while Moorwelten uses multimedia design. Lake Dümmer also offers sailing and surfing in the wider Diepholz travel destination.

At Dümmer Museum in Lembruch, the focus is on the nature, landscape, and culture of Lake Dümmer in the past, present, and future. The “Life in Water” research station explains the ecology of the Dümmer ecosystem in detail. The Stone Age at Lake Dümmer offers another perspective: the museum brings it to life with original artefacts dating from 4,000 to 2,000 BC and reconstructions. For a more active exploration of the water, the museum offers a two-hour discovery tour investigating life in the waters of Lake Dümmer. The tour uses nets, a plankton net, a thermometer, a questionnaire, and a microscope. It is suitable for families and smaller groups of fewer than 15 people, school classes, and groups of no more than 25 people.

Syke District Museum, with the Gesseler Goldhort Forum, is the district of Diepholz’s museum of cultural and everyday history. It presents everyday life from the Stone Age to the threshold of the present day. Together with Dümmer Museum, it offers a regional perspective connecting nature and landscape with cultural and everyday history.

Discover more destinations: Varrel, Weyhe, Mellinghausen, Freistatt, Asendorf, Syke, Sudwalde, Wagenfeld.

Back to the wider travel overview: Diepholz.