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Stade combines a historic city center with museums, cycling routes, and routes on the water. When planning your stay, you can choose between a walking tour of the city, historical exhibitions, and activities on the Schwinge. The different durations for tours and guided visits help you factor each visit into your plans.

Explore the Old Town and churches on foot

Allow about one to two hours to explore the historic city center. The guided tour of Stade’s Old Town introduces the Hanseatic city’s main sights. Check the available dates and booking conditions in advance if you would like to discover the city on a guided tour.

Notable historic sites include St. Wilhadi Church, the oldest church in Stade. The tower tour at St. Cosmae Church takes about 45 minutes and is limited to a maximum of eight guests per tour. You can compare this duration with the longer time needed for a walk through the city center when planning your visit. Confirm the booking conditions before you go.

Museums, crafts, and art

The open-air museum in Stade presents the culture and nature of the Altes Land region. Its collection includes an Altes Land farmhouse dating from 1733. Ornate brickwork, the original room layout, and much of the original furnishings offer insight into the house’s building and domestic culture. The open-air museum grounds are free to access year-round; seasonal arrangements may change. Check the latest information before your visit.

Weaving and spinning take place at the Altes Land House on the last Sunday of every month. From May to September, 60-minute guided tours are also offered there on the second and last Sunday of each month. The tower tour at St. Cosmae, the walk through the city center, and the guided tour at the Altes Land House therefore have different durations. If you would like to visit several places, check the dates in advance.

The Schwedenspeicher Museum covers Stade’s 1,000-year history, the importance of the Hanseatic League, and the prehistory and early history of the Elbe-Weser region. The Hahnentor Gallery of the Stade Art Association presents art, including painting, contemporary and experimental art, photography, sculpture, objects, and installations.

You can also explore Stade’s history at the stops along the History Trail of the Stade Paddling Trails. The trail follows the Schwinge past 14 stops featuring historical images, explanations, and milestones in the city’s history. Another themed tour is “Butter bei die Fische” (“Let’s get down to brass tacks”), which focuses on Hanseatic-era cuisine. Check the latest dates and booking options for guided tours.

Explore Stade by bike and from the water

The 530-kilometer Mönchsweg cycle route runs from Bremen via Stade to Wischhafen on the Elbe. For visitors interested in longer cycling routes, Stade is a named section of a route between these places. The district of Stade also has a network of signposted cycle routes; the Mönchsweg and the regional network offer different ways to plan your ride.

On the water, the Stade Paddling Trails cover seven kilometers from the Holzhafen, along the Burggraben and the Schwinge, toward the Schwedenschanze. The paddling area in Stade extends for around ten kilometers from the Holzhafen in the city center, around the Old Town, to the green meadows of the Schwinge valley. These figures describe different things: a named paddling trail and the larger paddling area.

Plan your journey and day trips

Take the S5 to Stade without changing trains from Elbgaustraße station via Hamburg Central Station, Harburg, and Buxtehude. Check the current timetable before you travel. For day trips, the seasonal Elbe-Radwanderbus line 1 runs from Stade via Drochtersen, Wischhafen, and Freiburg to the Natureum Niederelbe at the mouth of the Oste. Check operating times and the timetable for your travel dates as well.

Whether you’re interested in the Old Town, a museum, a cycling route, or a paddling trail, these options offer different starting points for a stay in Stade.

Discover more destinations: Nottensdorf, Buxtehude, Drochtersen, Steinkirchen, Neuenkirchen, Oldendorf, Harsefeld, Grünendeich.

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