Discover Peine: Church Art, History and Forest

Peine reveals its history through its buildings, glimpses into everyday life in times gone by and the forest. St. Jakobi Church adds an art-historical highlight; parts of the historic fortifications can be seen in Burgpark, while the forest nature trail puts the trees of Herzbergwald in the spotlight. This lets you shape your stay around different interests: church art and concerts, local history or nature.

Neo-Gothic Church Art and Concerts

St. Jakobi Church in central Peine is a Neo-Gothic hall church. It was built between 1896 and 1899 to plans by Eberhard Hillebrand. Its art-historically significant painted decoration and excellent acoustics define the church interior. After being painted over in 1937 and 1962, the murals were faithfully restored between 1992 and 1994.

With more than 800 seats, the church provides a setting for regular concerts and other cultural events. Concerts take place about once a month. If you are planning to attend a concert on a particular date, check the current programme. This allows you to combine church art with a specific cultural highlight during your stay without relying on a particular event date.

The History of the Fortifications and Everyday Life

Restored parts of Peine’s historic fortifications can be seen in Burgpark: a casemate, a bridge arch and a castle moat. The different structures bring the history of the site to life and offer a contrast to the church art of St. Jakobi.

Peine District Museum tells the stories and history of the town and region, with a particular focus on everyday life. In the wider Peine destination, the museum explores everyday life in different eras and the lives and work of craftspeople, industrial workers, townspeople and farmers across 1,000 m². It also covers local features of the Peine region. History enthusiasts can therefore discover how people lived, rather than focusing solely on buildings.

The Forest Nature Trail in Herzbergwald

For a walk in nature, the forest nature trail in Peine’s Herzbergwald offers a different focus: the trees found there. Fifteen information boards explain them with short texts and colour illustrations. The trail begins at an overview board near the corner of Sundernstraße and Kastanienallee. Its content is intended for nature-loving walkers, those seeking relaxation and school groups. The boards offer specific ways to focus your attention in the forest on tree species and how they are depicted.

More Places to Explore in the Wider Peine Destination

Beyond central Peine, the wider Peine destination also offers distinctive cultural and pilgrimage connections. In Hohenhameln-Equord, St. Mark’s Church, also known as the “Little St. Peter’s Basilica,” is a smaller, true-to-scale replica of St. Peter’s Basilica. It was built on the Equord estate from 1697 onwards; visits require advance booking by phone. ZeitRäume Bodenstedt offers another way to explore history: the main house of a three-sided farmstead dates back to 1878 and displays original furnishings preserved from different stylistic periods. Audio units and film projections bring developments from the imperial era through to the 1960s to life.

There are two distinct descriptions of the pilgrimage routes. The Via Romea, also called the Rome Way, passes through Rietze, a locality in Edemissen in the district of Peine; Rietze is part of Abbot Albert of Stade’s pilgrimage route. The Braunschweig Way of St. James passes through the mining park, past ponds and open-cast mines, into the old village of Lengede and onward to Woltwiesche. If you are interested in chocolate, the Rausch Chocolate House in Peine has an outlet selling premium chocolate. Check the current opening arrangements before setting off.

When looking for accommodation in Peine, you can start by deciding which themes you want to shape your stay: church art and concerts, the history of everyday life or a walk in nature.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Vechelde, Ölsburg, Lahstedt, Edemissen, Wendeburg, Hohenhameln, Lengede

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Peine.