Mellinghausen: Romanesque Church and Alpaca Farm

Mellinghausen brings together a distinctive historic building and an alpaca farm: the large Romanesque Church of St. John the Baptist dates from 1277, and ALBWOLLE offers alpaca hikes. This gives your trip two distinct highlights—history and an activity that combines exercise with learning about animals. Which aspect interests you more may also shape the rest of your travel plans.

A Romanesque church with a long history

The large Church of St. John the Baptist in Mellinghausen dates from 1277. Its Romanesque style and great age make it a clearly identifiable historic feature of the village. For anyone interested in history and sacred architecture, the church offers a tangible point of reference: the date takes us far back into the Middle Ages and clearly sets this part of the travel experience apart from the activities at ALBWOLLE. Together, the two themes bring cultural history and animal husbandry into your plans, without requiring them to share the same focus.

Out and about with alpacas

ALBWOLLE offers alpaca hikes in Mellinghausen. During the hikes, participants also learn about the animals’ origins, care and keeping. This combines being out and about with an insight into alpaca care: the animals are not just the reason for the activity, but also one of its topics. If you would like to include this hike in your plans, please check availability directly before your visit. This keeps your plans tied to the actual offering rather than assuming a fixed date or itinerary.

ALBWOLLE farm shop and café

Since mid-2022, ALBWOLLE has operated a family-run alpaca farm in Mellinghausen with a farm shop and café. The farm adds further visitor offerings to its hikes. On weekends, the farm café serves homemade cakes and waffles. Please check directly in advance whether the farm is currently operating and on which weekend days the café is open.

More to explore in the wider destination of Diepholz

The wider destination of Diepholz includes two tourism regions and two nature parks. There are also different cultural perspectives to explore. The Dümmer Museum in Lembruch presents the nature, landscape and culture of Lake Dümmer in the past, present and future. The “Life in Water” research station explains the ecology of the Dümmer ecosystem in detail. The museum also brings the Stone Age at Lake Dümmer to life with original artifacts from 4,000 to 2,000 BC and reconstructions.

The District Museum Syke, with its Gesseler Gold Hoard Forum, offers a different focus. As a museum of cultural and everyday history for the district of Diepholz, it presents daily life from the Stone Age to the threshold of the present day. A comparison of the museums therefore sets the nature, landscape and culture of Lake Dümmer on one side, and a broader look at history and everyday life on the other. This distinction in subject matter can help you organize your interests as you plan the rest of your trip.

Nature trails and outdoor activities in Diepholz

Nature experiences in the wider destination of Diepholz also offer different highlights. A roughly two-kilometer-long moor discovery trail with ten informative stations runs through the Diepholz moor, bringing the moor ecosystem to life in every season. For recreational cyclists, a cycle route signage system guides the way along around 1,700 kilometers of routes in the district of Diepholz. The moor trail focuses on the ecosystem along a route with interpretive stations, while the cycle route signage system provides guidance across a much larger network. The wider destination therefore offers both a clearly defined nature theme and a more extensive option for planning routes.

Discover more destinations: Lemförde, Asendorf, Wagenfeld, Bassum, Süstedt, Varrel, Diepholz, Heiligenrode

Return to the wider travel overview: Diepholz.