Discover Rehren

In Rehren, centuries of local history meet trails that make a variety of day plans possible: a short circular walk starts at the hiking car park, a cycling tour loops around the village, and the Loccum-Volkenroda Pilgrimage Route includes Rehren as one of its stages. There is also a chapel with a late medieval history and special details reflecting art and faith.

Rehren was first mentioned in a document in 1182. Those interested in the village’s history can also discover it in specific buildings and in the memory of people born here. This means a stay that includes hiking and cycling can also be enriched with cultural discoveries.

Churches, Chapel and Local History

The Catholic Church of St Catherine in Rehren was built in 1960/61. Its construction was connected with the settlement in the Auetal of predominantly Catholic expellees from the former German eastern territories. The church therefore also tells the story of an important part of the region’s post-war history.

Rehren Chapel was probably built as a pilgrimage chapel in the late Gothic period, in the mid-15th century. Its furnishings include three statues of saints: a statue of Mary, St Catherine and an unknown female saint. The leaded glass in the east-facing window depicts the story of Pentecost from the New Testament. The statues, window and original use offer different ways to explore the village’s history—from religious imagery to its former importance as a pilgrimage destination.

On 25 June 2023, the chapel received the “Open Church” and “Pilgrimage Church” designations. It invites visitors to pause for a moment; hand-knitted socks bearing a blessing are also available there to take away, made by volunteers. A commemorative plaque at Friedrich Oetker’s birthplace in Rehren was installed on the 100th anniversary of his death. Oetker was born in Rehren and was a publicist, writer and campaigner for constitutional rights.

Hiking Trails and Pilgrimage Stages

The 4.2-kilometre circular route “Path of Self-Compassion” (AU 1) starts and ends at the Rehren Sports Ground hiking car park. Another route in the Auetal, the 4.5-kilometre “Eulenburger Acht” (AU 4), offers a different distance. If you are planning a trip, check the current route.

The Loccum-Volkenroda Pilgrimage Route also helps with planning your day: an approximately 16-kilometre stage leads from Stadthagen to Rehren in the Auetal and passes Rehren Chapel. The next stage starts again at the hiking car park in Rehren and heads towards Fischbeck Abbey, covering about 17 kilometres. Rehren can therefore be considered either the destination of one stage or the starting point for the next stretch; the approximate distances help distinguish between the two sections.

Cycling Around Rehren

The “Auetal Highlights” cycling tour follows a roughly 21-kilometre route around Rehren, between the Wesergebirge and the Bückeberg hills. On the return to Hattendorf, it passes Rehren Chapel. To reach the starting point for this cycling tour, take the A2 motorway and exit at Rehren. The hike, pilgrimage stage and cycling tour differ both in length and in whether Rehren is a circular route, a stage destination or part of a tour around the village.

If the routes associated with Rehren are central to your plans, search specifically for accommodation in this location. This lets you choose where to stay based on the experiences that interest you in Rehren.

Discover more destinations: Wiedenbrügge, Stadthagen, Haste, Apelern, Bad Eilsen, Rodenberg, Schaumburg, Meerbeck.

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