Wildlife Park and Water Ecology Trail

At the Willebadessen Wildlife Park, visitors can observe various species of wild animals at close range and learn more about their way of life. The viewing platform offers a different perspective: from there, the view extends far across the park and the surrounding landscape. This shifts the focus between individual animals and a broad overview of their habitat.

The Water Ecology Experience Trail, with seven stations exploring different aspects of aquatic environments, is located directly next to the wildlife park. The trail is free to access; check the current access conditions before your visit. The Egge Spring is within the wildlife park area.

Cycle Routes and Butterfly Trail

Different scales are available for planning a cycling trip: the cycle network in the Willebadessen municipal area covers around 300 km and is uniformly signposted; the Egge Route is a 25 km cycling tour around Willebadessen. The network provides the broader framework, while the Egge Route is a tour with its own specified distance.

The Butterfly Trail is an approximately 3.7 km section of the Hitgenheierweg and passes through an important nature reserve on the outskirts of Willebadessen. The tour can also be started at Willebadessen railway station. If travelling by train, check connections and timetables separately. More than 50 species of butterfly have so far been recorded on the limestone grasslands near Willebadessen.

Monastery, Church and Spa Park

The former Benedictine nunnery in Willebadessen was founded in 1149 and comprises convent buildings and a Romanesque church. St. Vitus Church in the former monastery has been a Catholic parish church since 1830. It houses a reliquary shrine of the church’s patron saint, St. Vitus, dating from around 1200, as well as a founders’ chapel. A 7-hectare park surrounds the historic buildings of the former monastery and also serves as the spa park for the health resort of Willebadessen.

The dates refer to different milestones: 1149 marks the founding of the monastery, around 1200 the shrine, and since 1830 the church’s status as a parish church. This helps place the monastery’s history, the church and the surrounding park as distinct aspects of the town.

The Wider Region: Höxter

Looking at the wider travel destination of Höxter opens up a distinct regional perspective: the Höxter district brings together culture, nature and active holidays in the rolling uplands of the Teutoburg Forest and the Weser Uplands. Further afield in the region, the Egge Trail runs through the heart of the Teutoburg Forest / Egge Hills Nature Park.

Cycling routes also differ in scale: the Egge Route covers 25 km around Willebadessen. The 65 km Nethe Cycle Route follows the Nethe from its source to its confluence with the Weser and runs between Bad Driburg and Höxter. This makes it possible to compare the local tour with a longer regional river route without planning them as the same route.

Accommodation to Suit Your Travel Plans

If you include the wider region in your plans, you can also consider the Nethe Cycle Route as a separate part of your trip. Compare specific accommodation options based on your daily plans and their location in relation to your intended destinations.

Discover more destinations: Marienmünster, Nieheim, Steinheim, Gehrden, Brakel, Borgentreich, Merlsheim, Höxter

Back to the main travel overview: Höxter.