Adelheidsdorf: Moorland History and Cycling Route

Adelheidsdorf combines the history of moorland cultivation with a circular cycling tour through fields, meadows and pastures. Drainage ditches, horses along the route and the story of peat extraction give the landscape a distinctive character. If you want to focus your trip on nature, cycling and local history, you’ll find a range of themes here that complement one another as you explore the area.

Moorland landscape and traces of its use

The local districts developed through the cultivation of the former Großer or Müggenburger Moor. The former moorland stretched from Celle to Ramlingen; birch and rowan trees were characteristic of the landscape. Drainage ditches along the Adelheidsdorf circular cycling tour show how the former moor was drained. At the same time, the ditch system attracts a distinctive range of animal and plant life. The route also passes through fields, meadows and pastures, adding further landscape impressions to these historical traces.

Settlement history and peat extraction

From 1824, the settlement between Müggenburg and the Fuhse Canal began to develop. Adelheidsdorf was established as a colony between 1824 and 1838 along the Hanover–Celle road. In 1831, the village was named in honour of Queen Adelaide of England and Hanover. The former Müggenburg estate is also part of the area’s history: it was a place where the Dukes of Celle collected customs duties.

Peat extraction in the area flourished in the early 18th century. At the peat extraction station, visitors can learn about the work involved in cutting peat and how the land was made suitable for fields and meadows. The cycling tour thus brings landscape and settlement history together: the ditches point to the drainage of the land, while the station explores the work involved and the land’s subsequent use.

Cycling tour and horses

The Adelheidsdorf circular cycling tour starts and ends in Großmoor. The traditional training centre for riding horses is located directly on the cycling route. Adelheidsdorf has had a stallion testing station since 1927. Visitors can also experience the local landscape on horseback; horses are often grazing beside the cycling route. This gives you two different ways to take in the landscape: cycling through fields and pastures, or experiencing nature on horseback.

A GPS navigation download is available for the circular tour. Check the download and route conditions before setting off. In Großmoor, a farm shop with regional products also invites you to stop; check whether it is currently open before visiting.

When looking for accommodation, you can start by deciding what you want to focus on during your trip: would you mainly like to explore the Adelheidsdorf circular cycling tour and moorland history, or include other cycling and cultural themes? This lets you tailor your search to the experiences that interest you.

In the wider Celle destination

The Südheide Nature Park has ten signposted themed cycling routes covering more than 400 kilometres in total. They lead to special sights and pass through heathland, forests, heathland streams, and moor and pond landscapes. Other distinctive cultural destinations in the wider Celle area include Celle’s town centre, with almost 500 half-timbered houses, and Wienhausen Monastery, with medieval art treasures including tapestries from the 14th and 15th centuries. The German Oil Museum in Wietze gives visitors the opportunity to explore part of the historic Wietze oil field, with numerous original, working technical relics.

Discover more destinations: Eversen, Habighorst, Meissendorf, Hermannsburg, Eicklingen, Eschede, Wietze, Nienhagen.

Back to the main travel overview: Celle.