Varrel offers two different ways to connect with your trip: sacred visual art at St. Mary’s Church and experiencing nature on the Große Aue. The contrast is tangible: a dated window image on one side, and landscapes and wildlife from a waterside perspective on the other. This lets you consciously choose the focus of your stay.
St. Mary’s Church: windows and imagery
St. Mary’s Church can accommodate approximately 400 people. The chancel contains three stained-glass windows; the central one dates from 1998 and depicts the story of Peter sinking into the water. This precise subject gives the group of windows a distinct cultural-historical accent, while the approximate capacity indicates the size of the church interior. If you are interested in sacred visual art, you can choose the image of Peter as a particular focal point.
Canoeing on the Große Aue
On the Große Aue, canoeing lets you experience the landscape and wildlife from a new perspective on the water. Five canoe launch and landing points are listed in Varrel. Check the latest operating details before setting out. Unlike the church window, the focus here is on the landscape and wildlife as seen from the water.
More to explore in the Diepholz destination
The district of Diepholz comprises two tourism regions and two nature parks. The Dümmer Museum in Lembruch 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 in detail. The museum’s Stone Age section at Lake Dümmer features original artefacts from 4000 to 2000 BC, as well as reconstructions. A two-hour discovery tour explores life in the waters of Lake Dümmer using a hand net, plankton net, thermometer, questionnaire and microscope. It is intended for families and smaller groups of fewer than 15 people, school classes, and groups of no more than 25 people.
The Syke District Museum, including the Gesseler Gold Hoard Forum, is the cultural and social history museum of the district of Diepholz. It presents everyday life from the Stone Age to the threshold of the present day. Its broad historical scope thus differs from the Lembruch museum’s specific focus on Lake Dümmer.
In the Diepholz moor, a moorland discovery trail around 2 kilometres long, with ten informative stops, leads through the moor ecosystem and makes it accessible in every season. The Moorwelten in Wagenfeld is a multimedia experience centre dedicated to moors and climate. The moor railway stops directly at the Moorwelten and takes visitors to the “Moorpadd” nature trail and the walking trails in the Neustädter Moor.
Cycling and water routes also offer different perspectives. A cycle route guidance system directs leisure cyclists along around 1,700 kilometres of routes in the district of Diepholz. The Hunte River Cycle Route is 137 kilometres long and runs from Elsfleth to Lake Dümmer. The Hunte is navigable by canoe for around 105 kilometres, from the Osnabrück region to Oldenburg; in the district of Diepholz, it has been developed as an attractive area for nature-based canoe tourism. The two Hunte routes differ in mode of travel, length and endpoints. As route conditions can change, check the latest information before a cycling trip. Lake Dümmer also offers numerous recreational opportunities for sailors and surfers.
Discover more destinations: Lembruch, Mellinghausen, Wagenfeld, Neubruchhausen, Hüde, Freistatt, Syke, Bruchhausen-Vilsen.
Go to the main travel overview: Diepholz.
