Explore Eckardtsheim through its local history, a regional hiking trail and the activities at Gut Wilhelmsdorf.

Local history at several stops

The “Eckardtsheim Historic” tour takes visitors to houses and special places in Eckardtsheim. Information boards document part of the area’s history at these locations. Stops include Eckardtskirche, Thekoa, Wilhelmsdorf, the school, the Handwerkerhaus, the Sennekanzlei, Jericho, and the Begegnungs- und Freizeitzentrum. Those interested in local history can therefore explore several named sites rather than just one historical location. The tour focuses on the information available at each stop.

Hiking trail and orientation

The Bullerbachtalweg is a regional hiking trail measuring 8.31 kilometres. Along a footpath shared with the Sennestädter Rundwanderweg, it leads into the centre of Eckardtsheim. After its stretch through Eckardtsheim, its official endpoint is at the organic farm shop on the grounds of Gut Wilhelmsdorf. The route into the area and its named destination offer practical guidance for planning. Trail conditions can change; check the latest route information before setting out.

The Evangelische Eckardtskirche can also be reached by bus routes 37 and 237. The “Pontus” stop is about 170 metres away. As routes and stops can change, check the latest public transport information before travelling.

Gut Wilhelmsdorf: Tours and events

Tours at Gut Wilhelmsdorf introduce visitors to the history of Wilhelmsdorf and modern organic dairy farming. They should be arranged in advance. Tastings are held regularly in the farm shop; dates vary. The Wilhelmsdorf Harvest Thanksgiving Festival is celebrated every year on Thanksgiving Day with the Zionsgemeinde Eckardtsheim, although the exact date changes from year to year. If you would like to include one of these activities in your stay, arrange a tour in good time or check the date of the event in question. This makes it easier to fit the activities, each with its own requirements, into your schedule.

Wilhelmsdorf and the landscape

Wilhelmsdorf in the Senne was inaugurated on 13 August as a support initiative for men without work or housing, and was Germany’s first workers’ colony. This history offers a distinct way to explore the place name, which is also one of the stops on the historical tour. Another point of interest is the landscape: the “Temporäres LSG im Bereich Eckardtsheim” area is designated as a temporary landscape conservation area covering 81.5 hectares. Historical sites, the hiking trail and the designated conservation area appeal to different interests in exploring Eckardtsheim.

Culture in the wider destination of Bielefeld

In the wider destination of Bielefeld, Kunsthalle Bielefeld complements the local historical focus with modern and contemporary art. The museum opened in 1968, based on plans by American architect Philip Johnson. It presents collection and temporary exhibitions of 20th- and 21st-century art, as well as a varied programme of events and educational activities.

Bielefeld is also home to Bauernhausmuseum. Founded in 1917, it is Westphalia’s oldest open-air museum. Since reopening in 1999, it has presented rural life around 1850, shaped by the natural, economic and political conditions of the time. Alongside art, the wider destination therefore offers history and rural life as distinct cultural themes.

Discover more destinations: Bielefeld.

Back to the main travel overview: Bielefeld.