Discover Wardenburg: Bell Tower, St. Mary's Church and Lethe Nature Trail

Wardenburg’s bell tower is a landmark and part of the municipal coat of arms; at the same time, a nature trail begins at the Lethe bridge near Wardenburg watermill. St. Mary’s Church adds a religious focal point, while the municipality is also home to a collection on agriculture and crafts as well as a historic forge. Local landmarks, everyday history and a route through the Lethe lowlands give your stay a variety of themes.

Landmark and parish church

The bell tower is Wardenburg’s landmark and part of the municipal coat of arms. St. Mary’s Church in Wardenburg is the parish church of the Wardenburg Protestant parish. Together, they offer a municipal symbol and a specific religious focal point. If you are interested in local identity and religious sites, these two subjects provide a good introduction to Wardenburg’s character.

A collection and traditional crafts in the municipality

The Moor and Farm Museum in Benthullen has an extensive collection of agricultural and craft tools, clothing, leisure items, and household and domestic objects from the 1950s. Its range therefore spans everything from work tools to items from everyday home life. Bunje’s Forge offers a different focus: the forge on Friedrichstraße in Wardenburg is over 300 years old, and its workshop has been preserved in its original state. Visits must be arranged in advance.

The Lethe Nature Trail and guided tours

The Lethe Nature Trail was established in 2022 and starts at the Lethe bridge near Wardenburg watermill. In the wider Oldenburg destination, the approximately 3-kilometre circular route passes through the Wardenburg Lethe lowlands. It lies west of Wardenburg’s town centre in the “Lethe” nature reserve. Its starting point and approximate length make it easy to plan your outing.

In the municipality of Wardenburg, guided tours called “Wardenburger Landtouren” are offered in a variety of formats: walks, cycling tours, hikes, visits and 360-degree tours. Bus tours are available on request. If you are planning a specific departure, check the current programme.

More cultural and landscape highlights in the wider Oldenburg destination

In the wider Oldenburg destination, Hude offers a focus on monastic history. Founded in 1232, the Cistercian monastery, called “Portus Sancte Marie” (“Harbour of Saint Mary”), quickly became the spiritual, economic and political centre of the eastern part of the County of Oldenburg. The monastery ruins preserve remains of a three-aisled basilica with a wide transept. The church was originally over 57 metres long and over 24 metres wide. The museum in Hude Monastery displays models illustrating its construction history, archaeological finds, maps and texts about Cistercian history, as well as a scriptorium where visitors can write with a quill.

The Pestrup burial ground, south of Wildeshausen, offers a different focus. It is an archaeological site of regional importance set in heathland and pine forest, and is also the largest contiguous heathland area in the district of Oldenburg. Both short and longer walks are possible there. This combines interest in an archaeological site with the option to choose a walk of varying length.

For an activity on the water, the wider Oldenburg destination offers a 40-kilometre canoe route on the Hunte from Wildeshausen to Oldenburg. In the Wildeshausen Geest, the river route passes sandbanks, steep riverbanks and forests. It includes 11 launch and landing points, 10 rest areas and 11 information panels along the nature trail. By comparison, walks at the Pestrup burial ground and an extensive canoe route offer different ways to experience the landscape.

Discover more destinations

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

Back to the wider travel overview: Oldenburg.