Discover Oldenburg: Monastery, heath and Hunte

Monastery history and architecture in Hude

Hude Cistercian Monastery was founded in 1232 and was named “Portus Sancte Marie,” translated as “Harbour of Saint Mary.” It quickly became the spiritual, economic and political centre of the eastern part of the County of Oldenburg. The museum at Hude Monastery displays models illustrating the building’s history, archaeological finds, and maps and texts about Cistercian history. A scriptorium where visitors can write with a quill adds an insight into historical writing practices.

The monastery ruins preserve the remains of a three-aisled basilica with an expansive transept. The church was originally more than 57 metres long and more than 24 metres wide. The monastery’s architectural history can therefore be explored through both the surviving structures and the dimensions of the original church.

Heathland and walks at Pestrup Burial Ground

South of Wildeshausen, Pestrup Burial Ground lies in a landscape of heathland and pine forest. It is an archaeological site of significance beyond the region and also the largest contiguous area of heathland in the district of Oldenburg. Both short and longer walks are possible there. You can therefore plan your visit around the amount of walking you prefer, rather than being limited to a single set distance. The archaeological heritage and the heathland define the site together: it is about both the landscape and its significance as a historic site.

A circular route through the Wardenburg Lethe lowland

The Lethe Nature Trail is a circular route of around three kilometres through the Wardenburg Lethe lowland. It starts at Wardenburg Watermill on the Lethe bridge and is west of Wardenburg’s town centre, within the “Lethe” nature reserve. Unlike at Pestrup Burial Ground, where short and longer walks are possible, this route is described as a circuit of an approximate total length. This comparison helps you plan based on walking distance: you can choose between a walk of varying length and a named circular route.

Experience the Hunte by canoe

The canoe route on the Hunte runs for 40 kilometres from Wildeshausen to Oldenburg. Along the route are eleven launch and landing points, ten rest areas and eleven information boards. The river route passes through the Wildeshausen Geest and by sandbanks, steep riverbanks and forests. This gives you both the tour’s length and specific points of reference along the water. The riverside landscape differs considerably from the walking routes through heathland and lowland; when planning your trip, you can therefore consider a longer canoe section and shorter walks on land as different options.

Further regional perspectives

In the wider region, the JAN HARPSTEDT museum railway offers access to the forested area around Harpstedt. Together with the sites associated with monastery history, Pestrup Burial Ground, the Lethe Nature Trail and the Hunte canoe route, it offers a range of different themes and landscapes. When looking for a hotel in Oldenburg, you can start by considering whether cultural history, walks or the canoe route is most important to your trip. The specific differences between a circular route, walks of varying lengths and a river route provide practical guidance.

Discover more destinations: Großenkneten, Wildeshausen, Kirchseelte, Harpstedt, Ganderkesee, Dötlingen, Hatten, Kirchhatten, Hude, Wardenburg, Oldenburg.

For the general travel overview: Lower Saxony.