Wildeshausen brings together a range of historical themes: the architecture of St Alexander’s Church, archaeology at the Prehistory Centre and a burial ground set in a landscape of heathland and pine forests. Explore the town according to your own interests, with a particular focus on architectural history, archaeology or the landscape.
Church and archaeology in Wildeshausen
St Alexander’s Church in Wildeshausen is the only surviving late Romanesque basilica in the Oldenburg region. It is open daily except Tuesdays. Check the official opening information before your visit. The building offers a focus on architectural history, while the Wildeshausen Prehistory Centre (UZW) focuses on archaeology.
The UZW is an information centre for archaeology in the Wildeshauser Geest Nature Park. From Wildeshausen railway station, the route leads through the town centre: the distance is 600 metres and takes ten minutes on foot. This gives you a specific point of reference if you would like to combine a visit to the centre with a walk through the town centre.
The Pestrup Burial Ground and the heathland
The Pestrup Burial Ground lies south of Wildeshausen. It covers about 40 hectares and contains around 500 burial mounds. This archaeological site of significance beyond the region is set in a landscape of heathland and pine forests. In the wider Oldenburg travel destination, the burial ground is also the largest continuous area of heathland in the district of Oldenburg; short and longer walks are possible there.
The site thus brings together two specific interests: the burial mounds as an archaeological destination and the heathland as a landscape for a walk. You can choose a shorter or longer walk accordingly.
More to discover in the wider Oldenburg travel destination
In the wider Oldenburg travel destination, Hude Monastery offers another way to explore history. Founded in 1232, the Cistercian monastery, called “Portus Sancte Marie” (“Harbour of Saint Mary”), quickly became the spiritual, economic and political centre of the eastern part of the County of Oldenburg. The monastery ruins preserve the remains of a three-aisled basilica with a broad transept. The church was originally over 57 metres long and over 24 metres wide.
The museum at Hude Monastery displays models illustrating the building’s history, archaeological finds, maps and texts about the history of the Cistercians, as well as a scriptorium where visitors can write with a quill. Architecture, finds and the culture of writing sit side by side here, offering a distinct focus alongside the archaeological themes in Wildeshausen.
Another regional highlight in the wider Oldenburg travel destination is the 40-kilometre canoe route along the Hunte from Wildeshausen to Oldenburg. It passes through the Wildeshauser Geest, by sandbanks, steep riverbanks and forests. The route has 11 launch and landing points, 10 rest areas and 11 educational trail signs. The riverbanks contrast with the heathland at the burial ground.
Discover more destinations: Kirchseelte, Dötlingen, Kirchhatten, Oldenburg, Hatten, Wardenburg, Hude, Großenkneten.
Back to the wider travel overview: Oldenburg.
