Discover Liebenau: Nature and History

Liebenau is part of the Mittelweser travel region in Lower Saxony. The Liebenau gravel pits and the Mainscher Heide add distinctive features to the landscape; the memorial site, church and local history museum offer different historical perspectives. For your stay, these themes can be distinguished clearly: the gravel pits focus on nature and guided tours, while the historical sites present different chapters of local and regional history.

Experience nature: gravel pits, heathland and tours

A total of 281 plant species have been recorded in and around the former gravel pits. The Liebenau gravel pits also provide a habitat for 58 breeding bird species and 120 species of migrating birds stopping over. Their bodies of water are registered as an EU Habitats Directive conservation area because they serve as a feeding habitat for the rare pond bat. Expert-led tours of the protected Liebenau gravel pits take place throughout the year. Contact NABU for specific dates.

The Mainscher Heide heathland lies around Fuchsberg. Covering approximately 27 hectares, it has become an important local recreation area. During the heather flowering season, you can combine a walk with a break at the Fuchsberg Hut. Another option is the 30-kilometre “Through Gorge and Heath: Around Liebenau” cycling tour. It follows minor roads and farm tracks. The two suggestions differ in their seasonal focus and stated distance: the walk is linked to the heather flowering season, while the cycling tour is listed as 30 kilometres long.

Liebenau’s history and buildings

The permanent exhibition at the Liebenau Memorial and Education Centre covers the Liebenau munitions factory from 1939 to 1945 and the people who were forced to perform slave labour there. Construction of the munitions factory began in summer 1939 in a wooded area between Liebenau and Steyerberg. The exhibition and the construction history therefore provide different historical points of reference: the period covered by the exhibition and the start of construction in summer 1939.

St. Laurentius is the oldest surviving building in Liebenau and a Late Gothic church. The date 1522 is inscribed on the door lintel. Inside are a richly decorated 6.5-metre-high sacrament house dating from 1510 and a carved altar from 1517. The three dates refer to different details of the church: the sacrament house, the altar and the door lintel. Together, they provide specific reference points for the church’s various historical elements.

The Witten-Hus local history museum is a regional farm burgher house dating from the late 19th century. Its exhibitions cover the history of the Old Saxons, local crafts and domestic life up to the early 20th century. In addition to the building’s history, regional history and everyday culture are also in focus.

Another archaeological point of interest is an Old Saxon burial ground discovered in 1953 on Heidberg near Liebenau. It is considered unique in Lower Saxony and rare in northwestern Europe because it was used continuously until the early Middle Ages. Access to the archaeological site is restricted to guided tours, so check whether a tour is available before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Bad Rehburg, Steyerberg, Raddestorf, County of Hoya, Haßbergen, Steimbke, Rehburg-Loccum, Mittelweser.

For the broader travel overview: Nienburg.