Lohheide: Bergen-Belsen Memorial and Civic Park
Accommodation in Lohheide
In Lohheide, you can explore two different interests: the history of the Bergen-Belsen Memorial and experiencing nature on long walks in the Civic Park. To help with your planning, first decide which should be your main focus.
Bergen-Belsen Memorial: history and remembrance
A documentation centre was built on the site of the former Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. It provides visitors with detailed information about the events of that time. More than 70,000 people died there by 1945.
On the historic camp site, nine relief models explain the different areas of the camp. In addition, 17 information panels with short texts and photographs provide information about the camp’s history and individual buildings. People who died in the concentration camp during the last weeks before and immediately after its liberation are buried in 14 mass graves and 15 individual graves on the memorial site.
The obelisk, visible from far away, and the inscription wall were erected at the request of the British military administration and inaugurated in November 1952. The wall bears inscriptions from many countries, as well as inscriptions in Yiddish, Hebrew and Latin.
The House of Silence was opened in 2000 as an accessible sculpture and a place for quiet reflection. Near the former main entrance, the foundations of a disinfection building have been preserved; they were secured and reinforced in 2016.
Experience nature and get active
The Civic Park in Lohheide invites you to experience nature on long walks. In the Celle travel region, SĂĽdheide Nature Park complements this focus with ten signposted themed cycling routes covering a total of more than 400 kilometres. The routes lead to special sights and through heathland, forests, heath streams, and moorland and pond landscapes. The nature park also has 23 themed hiking trails, five discovery trails and three long-distance hiking trails.
Canoeing on the heath streams in Celle district is permitted with restrictions each year from 16 May to 14 October. Check local restrictions and water levels before setting off.
Nature and culture in the Celle travel region
In Wietze, the German Oil Museum gives visitors the opportunity to explore part of the historic Wietze oil field, with numerous original, working examples of technical equipment. In southern Wietze, the Baroque Stechinelli Chapel is a worthwhile detour, with its magnificent interior. One of the most beautiful sections of the Aller Cycle Route passes through Wietze, past the Hornbosteler Hutweide and through expansive river meadows.
For planning in the Celle travel region, the Region Celle Navigator offers an interactive tour portal. It contains information on cycling, hiking and riding routes, as well as places to eat and stay, sights, museums and heathland in SĂĽdheide Nature Park and throughout Celle district.
When looking for accommodation, you can first decide what you want to focus on: should your stay be mainly about the Bergen-Belsen Memorial and the history of the site, or would you also like to include cycling, hiking and cultural activities in the Celle travel region? This gives your search a clear focus, based on the experiences that matter to you.
Discover more destinations: Eldingen, HambĂĽhren, Adelheidsdorf, FaĂźberg, Oldendorf, UnterlĂĽĂź, Eicklingen, Eschede
For the main travel overview: Celle.
