Since 1966, the German Railway Association (Deutscher Eisenbahn-Verein e.V.) has operated Germany’s first museum railway between Bruchhausen-Vilsen and Asendorf. The museum railway provides a clear focus for a stay; changing art exhibitions and market days offer other, distinct reasons to visit. What you make the centrepiece of your visit depends on whether you’re looking for railway history, a cultural programme or a market.
Museum Railway between Asendorf and Bruchhausen-Vilsen
The more than 100-year-old line is eight kilometres long and includes eight stations and stops. It has been preserved as a living open-air museum. Both the railway’s long history and the line itself shape Asendorf’s railway theme. On market days, the museum railway is scheduled to run with steam and diesel locomotives. If you’re planning a trip, check the current timetable before you travel.
Kunst-Schuppen and Changing Programme
Kunst-Schuppen Asendorf is run by Kunst-Schiene. Art and craft exhibitions change regularly; the events programme also includes the Kunst-Schiene Slam (poetry slam), readings and puppet theatre. The exhibitions are complemented by a variety of stage events and readings. If you’re planning to attend a particular event, check the programme for your chosen date in advance.
Market Days Throughout the Year
The Potato Market is held annually on the first Sunday in October. It is accompanied by a flea market and a Sunday when shops are open. The Christmas market is held annually on the third Sunday of Advent in December. These two markets offer different recurring reasons to visit: the Potato Market takes place on a set Sunday in October, while the Christmas market is held on the third Sunday of Advent.
At the Strawberry Market, you can enjoy strawberries on their own as well as strawberry milkshakes, freshly baked waffles, cake, punch, wine, ice cream and strawberry jam. The specific vendors and selection may vary. So if the food and drinks are what bring you to the market, also keep an eye on what’s available on site.
More to Explore in the Wider Destination of Diepholz
The wider destination of Diepholz encompasses two tourism regions and two nature parks. One of its distinctive cultural attractions is the Dümmer Museum Lembruch, which presents the nature, landscape and culture of Lake Dümmer in the past, present and future. The “Life in the Water” research station explains the ecology of the Dümmer ecosystem. The Stone Age at Lake Dümmer is also brought to life, with original artefacts dating from 4,000 to 2,000 BC and reconstructions.
The museum also offers a two-hour discovery tour to investigate life in the waters of Lake Dümmer. Equipment includes a landing net, plankton net, thermometer, questionnaire and microscope. The tour is for families and smaller groups of fewer than 15 people, school classes, and groups of up to 25 people. In the same wider destination, the Syke District Museum, with the Gesseler Gold Hoard Forum, is the district of Diepholz’s museum of cultural and everyday history. It presents everyday life from the Stone Age to the threshold of the present day.
For nature, the approximately two-kilometre Moor Experience Trail leads through the Diepholz Moor. Ten informative stops bring the moor ecosystem to life in every season. A cycle route guidance system points leisure cyclists towards around 1,700 kilometres of routes in the district of Diepholz. A canoe trip on the Hunte is possible from the OsnabrĂĽck region to Oldenburg, covering a distance of approximately 105 kilometres. These regional activities broaden the range to include moor ecology, cycling routes and water-based activities, while the museum railway, art and markets are the specific themes of Asendorf.
Discover more destinations: HĂĽde, Sudwalde, Diepholz, Stuhr, Heiligenrode, Varrel, Wagenfeld, Kirchdorf
Back to the wider travel overview: Diepholz.
