Discover Varrel: St. Mary's Church and canoeing

Varrel offers two distinct starting points for planning your trip: St. Mary's Church, with its three chancel windows, and canoeing on the Große Aue. One draws attention to a specific artistic motif, while the other offers a view of the landscape and wildlife from the water. The wider destination of Diepholz has additional museum, moorland, and cycling attractions.

St. Mary's Church in Varrel

St. Mary's Church in Varrel has room for approximately 400 people. There are three stained-glass windows in the chancel; the middle one dates from 1998 and depicts the story of Peter sinking into the water. This distinguishes the spatial detail from the specific motif: the number of windows describes the chancel, while the date and depicted story identify the middle window more precisely. This is a clear cultural highlight if you are interested in church interiors and religious imagery.

Canoeing on the Große Aue

On the Große Aue, you can experience the landscape and wildlife from a new perspective on the water by canoe. Five canoe launch and landing points are listed in Varrel. Check the latest operating details for these points before setting out.

Cycling and moorland experiences in the wider destination of Diepholz

Diepholz district includes two tourism regions and two nature parks. A cycle route guidance system helps recreational cyclists find their way along approximately 1,700 kilometres of routes. The 137-kilometre Hunte River Cycle Path also runs from Elsfleth to Lake Dümmer. These offer different ways to navigate: a route guidance system covering an extensive network and a named route with specific endpoints. Check current route conditions before cycling.

There are also different ways to discover the moorland. A roughly 2-kilometre moorland nature trail leads through the Diepholz Moor, with ten informative stations that bring the moor ecosystem to life in every season. The Moorwelten in Wagenfeld are a multimedia experience about moors and the climate. The moor railway stops directly at the Moorwelten and takes visitors to the “Moorpadd” nature trail and the walking paths in the Neustädter Moor.

Museums and water sports in the wider destination of Diepholz

The Dümmer Museum in Lembruch presents the nature, landscape, and culture of Lake Dümmer in the past, present, and future. The “Life in the Water” research station explains the ecology of the Dümmer ecosystem in detail. The museum’s section on the Stone Age at Lake Dümmer features original artefacts dating from 4,000 to 2,000 BC, as well as reconstructions. It thus connects the lake with an account of human history.

The museum also offers a two-hour discovery tour to investigate life in the waters of Lake Dümmer. Equipment includes a landing net, plankton net, thermometer, questionnaire, and microscope. The activity is for families and small groups of fewer than 15 people, school classes, and groups of up to 25 people. If you plan to take the tour, check availability in advance.

Another cultural and historical landmark in the wider destination of Diepholz is the Syke District Museum, which includes the Gesseler Goldhort Forum. It is the district's museum of cultural and everyday history; its displays of everyday life span the Stone Age to the threshold of the present. For water sports, Lake Dümmer offers a wide range of recreational opportunities for sailors and surfers. The Hunte offers another canoeing perspective: it was developed in Diepholz district as an attractive area for nature-based tourism and can be navigated by canoe for approximately 105 kilometres, from the Osnabrück region to Oldenburg.

Discover more destinations: Neubruchhausen, Lemförde, Süstedt, Wagenfeld, Campen, Asendorf, Freistatt, Stemshorn

Go to the wider travel overview: Diepholz.