Exploring Grafschaft Bentheim means encountering a changing landscape of heathland, raised and lowland bogs, wooded ridges and the Vechte River valley. This landscape sets the scene for a variety of discoveries: protected heathland, art in an open-air museum, collections in industrial buildings and traces of earlier ways of life and work. Different themes thus guide you through the region, rather than focusing attention on a single attraction.

Landscape and art in open spaces

Itterbecker Heide is a nature reserve covering around 85 hectares. It provides a distinct natural highlight in a region shaped by bogs, ridges and the river valley. Alongside the region’s varied landscapes, visitors with a particular interest in nature can explore this clearly defined protected area as a destination in its own right.

Kunstwegen offers a different way to experience nature and history. This open-air museum of contemporary art, nature and history stretches for more than 180 kilometres through the Vechte valley. More than 80 sculpture projects are located along the route, which also passes through Nordhorn. Kunstwegen is therefore not confined to a single exhibition space, but connects its themes along an extensive route. The main route of the Grafschafter Fietsentour offers another measure of scale: it is about 220 kilometres long and passes through all the municipalities in the district. While Kunstwegen brings together art, nature and history, the Fietsentour is a route spanning the entire district.

Museums and historic sites

In Nordhorn, the Maritime Museum focuses on maritime history. Across 350 square metres, it displays historical ship models, nautical instruments, nautical charts and information on shipbuilding, among other exhibits. The models, equipment, charts and knowledge of shipbuilding offer different perspectives on the subject of seafaring. The Nordhorn City Museum uses three listed industrial buildings for its permanent and temporary exhibitions. Here, the exhibition setting itself is shaped by historic industrial buildings.

History is also a central focus elsewhere in Grafschaft Bentheim. The Bronze Age Farmstead in Uelsen is a reconstructed prehistoric farmstead that offers insights into the lives of people in the Bronze Age at Riedberg. In Wietmarschen, the Packhaus now houses a permanent exhibition by the Wietmarschen Local History Association (Heimatverein Wietmarschen e. V.). It covers customs, traditional crafts, important documents and archaeological finds. The range therefore extends from a reconstructed Bronze Age way of life to topics relating to customs, crafts and archaeology.

The nearly 750-year-old watermill in Lage offers another historical perspective. It has two waterwheels: one for producing flour and the other for producing vegetable oil. The two wheels’ different purposes make two forms of production understandable through a single building, without confusing them.

Nature experiences and getting around

Nordhorn Zoo covers 12 hectares and is home to more than 2,500 animals from 100 different species. Many enclosures are designed for visitors to enter, including two petting zoos. Animal numbers and enclosure arrangements may change; take this into account when planning your visit.

With its main route of around 220 kilometres, the Grafschafter Fietsentour offers a different perspective from visiting individual museums or historic sites: it passes through every municipality in the district. Check the current route before setting out. Tourist overnight guests with a Grafschafter Guest Card can use buses and trains throughout the district free of charge. If you plan to make use of this option, check the current conditions of the guest card before travelling.

For the overview of the wider region: Lower Saxony.