Freistatt: Moorland, Narrow-Gauge Railway and History

Discover Freistatt from several perspectives: its moorland, narrow-gauge railway and the history of youth welfare. The subjects range from rewetted habitats to a publicly accessible memorial with historical documents and photographs. Nature and local history thus offer different points of focus when planning your trip.

Moorland, Narrow-Gauge Railway and Paths Through the Landscape

The Freistatt narrow-gauge railway takes groups of visitors into the moor and runs along a historic railway line. Its current route between Freistatt and Heimstatt follows the former trackbed along the old moor dam. A 3.3-kilometre planetary trail with information boards also runs alongside the railway. The ride and the trail offer different ways to explore the moor. If you plan to take the railway, it is worth checking the latest departure dates.

The Old Bakehouse is also part of the Freistatt visitor area. The park-like, varied sensory garden offers a different experience: it is designed to engage hearing, sight, smell and touch. This provides a distinct focus alongside the landscape and history themes.

Natural Areas and Wildlife

The protected moor is home to a variety of habitats. Rewetted areas include open water, cotton-grass meadows rich in peat moss, and moorland heath. At the same time, much of Freistatt Moor is characterized by extensive agricultural grassland use. Rewetted habitats and largely extensive grassland use together shape Freistatt Moor.

The protected area comprises the Northern Wietingsmoor, Freistatt Moor, the Central Wietingsmoor and Sprekelsmeer. It is an important breeding and resting area for birds. Cranes use the grassland to feed and gather; some bodies of water serve as roosting sites where they can rest.

History and Places to Meet

Haus Moorhort is home to a publicly accessible memorial dedicated to the history of youth welfare in Freistatt. Information boards, historical documents, photographs and exhibits present this subject. Youth welfare in Freistatt began in 1899. By 1911, four houses provided space for around 250 boys aged 14 to 21. The period from 1899 to 1911 is part of the history of youth welfare in Freistatt to which the memorial is dedicated.

The Moor Church is also part of community life: regular services are held there, and the community rooms are used for events. If you would like to include an event in your travel plans, check the latest dates.

More to Explore in the Wider Diepholz Destination

The wider Diepholz destination offers additional nature and culture experiences. A roughly two-kilometre moorland discovery trail with ten stops leads through Diepholz Moor, bringing the moor ecosystem to life in every season. In Wagenfeld, the multimedia Moorwelten (Moor Worlds) focus on moors and climate. These are two distinct ways to explore the subject: a trail with stops and a multimedia experience.

Cycling and waterways offer their own points of interest. A cycle route guidance system directs recreational cyclists along approximately 1,700 kilometres of routes in the district of Diepholz. The 137-kilometre Hunte River Cycle Route runs from Elsfleth to Lake Dümmer; check the current route before planning a specific trip. The Hunte has also been developed in the district as an attractive area for nature-based tourism and canoeing. It is navigable by canoe for about 105 kilometres, from the Osnabrück region to Oldenburg.

At the Dümmer Museum in Lembruch, the “Life in Water” research station explains the ecology of the Dümmer ecosystem. Further exhibitions bring the Stone Age at Dümmer to life with original objects dating from 4,000 to 2,000 BC and reconstructions. The Syke District Museum offers a different focus: it presents everyday life from the Stone Age to the threshold of the present and is the district of Diepholz’s museum of cultural and everyday history.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Hüde, Diepholz, Neubruchhausen, Süstedt, Asendorf, Stemshorn, Bassum, Varrel.

Back to the wider travel overview: Diepholz.