Oldenburg (Oldb): City History, Palace Gardens and Kale

Kale as a recurring occasion

The “Hallo Grünkohl” event turns Oldenburg’s city center into a meeting place for kale fans every year. It features both classic and modern versions of the dish. If you want to plan your trip around the event, check the date of the edition relevant to your stay. Its recurring nature makes it a reason to travel in its own right; factor specific dates into your plans rather than deciding based on the season alone.

The Lappan and Oldenburg’s architectural history

The Lappan is considered a landmark of Oldenburg, its first church tower and the oldest building in the city. An audio piece about the Lappan’s history, produced in 2018, begins in the Middle Ages, around 1350—the time when the Lappan was built. The building and the audio piece thus offer two ways to explore its history: the building’s historical context and a story that begins in this early period.

The façade of Oldenburg Palace also features elements from 400 years of European architectural history. The Palace Gardens offer a different point in time: Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig had them laid out as an English landscape garden in the early 19th century. The two can be viewed in contrast: the long architectural timespan reflected in the façade and the specific design of the gardens in the early 19th century.

Museums and art in different formats

The permanent exhibition at the Horst Janssen Museum presents the artist’s work in four thematic areas and introduces his techniques, with a particular emphasis on hands-on learning. Its thematic structure and focus on techniques give the visit two connected focal points.

Since 1996, the brick building on Schlosswall has been used, among other things, for the “Keramik im Pulverturm” award series. As part of the series, young artists can present their ceramic works at Oldenburg City Museum. Unlike the permanent exhibition at the Horst Janssen Museum, this series focuses on ceramic works by young artists—an additional perspective on Oldenburg’s art scene.

Green spaces and audio tours

The 21-kilometre “Grünes Oldenburg” circular route starts at Schlossplatz and passes through parks and green spaces. Along the way, it offers waterside views and passes historic districts and architectural highlights. As a circular route, it brings together a range of landscape and urban themes along a single itinerary.

The “Wissenschaft erfahren” tour also follows the route. It has eight stops and audio contributions in which researchers present different perspectives on freedom. The audio offerings differ in subject and format: the audio piece about the Lappan begins with its history around 1350, while “Wissenschaft erfahren” connects eight stops along the Grünes Oldenburg route with perspectives on freedom. You can explore the history of a single building or combine a circular route with several thematic stops.

More destinations in the Oldenburg district

The wider Oldenburg district offers other cultural and landscape highlights, distinct from the sights of the city of Oldenburg (Oldb). In Hude, the monastery museum displays models illustrating architectural history, archaeological finds, maps and texts about the history of the Cistercians, as well as a scriptorium where you can practise writing with a quill. Founded in 1232, Hude Cistercian Monastery quickly became the spiritual, economic and political center of the eastern part of the County of Oldenburg. The monastery ruins preserve the remains of a three-aisled basilica with a projecting transept; the church was originally more than 57 meters long and more than 24 meters wide.

South of Wildeshausen lies the Pestrup burial ground, an archaeological site of national importance in a heathland and pine forest landscape. It is the largest continuous heathland area in the Oldenburg district, with options for short and longer walks. The district thus offers both historic monastic architecture and a landscape of recognized archaeological significance.

Discover more destinations: Hatten, Kirchseelte, Wardenburg, Großenkneten, Hude, Dötlingen, Wildeshausen, Kirchhatten

Back to the main travel overview: Oldenburg.