Stemwede brings together nature watching, historic village scenes, gardens and crafts. Rare animals and plants can be spotted in the Oppenweher Moor, while Levern is a half-timbered collegiate village with a distinctive church. There are also mills, pottery courses and an annual open-air festival. Depending on your interests, you can focus your stay on landscapes, culture, food or cycling.
Moorland and gardens
Rare animals and plants can be observed in the Oppenweher Moor. In autumn, cranes also pass through, adding a distinct seasonal highlight to the nature experience. You can arrange guided excursions with a moorland expert by registering through the Stemwede Tourist Information Office.
The gardens each offer something different, too. Rila erleben features a 20,000-square-metre site in Stemwede-Levern with international themed gardens that invite you to stroll and linger. The NaturGarten with art installations in Niedermehnen is a two-hectare garden retreat for people and animals, as well as a forum for artists. The range therefore extends from landscaped themed gardens to a garden space that brings nature and art together.
Half-timbered houses, a church and mills
The well-preserved collegiate village of Levern is characterised by half-timbered houses and invites you to take a stroll. The collegiate church brings the former monastery church and the Evangelical Lutheran parish church together under one roof. It is one of the oldest churches in the Diocese of Minden. On a guided tour of the historic village centre, the collegiate ladies accompany visitors in historical costumes.
Three mills of different types are open to visitors in Stemwede. One striking example is the Levern windmill: this gallery Dutch windmill dates from 1922 and has a massive rubble-stone lower storey and an upper storey with timber cladding and shingles, shaped as a hexagon. Henriette Davidis lived in the Pfarrwitwenhaus in Levern from 1838 to 1855. The local history houses in Levern and Wehdem offer insights into the history of their villages and into life and work in Stemwede in the past.
Crafts, events and food
Visitors are welcome at the Sundern pottery, which offers bookable pottery courses for children and adults. This is a practical way to add a cultural focus to your trip through a hands-on activity.
The Stemweder Open Air has been held every August in the Haldem district since 1976. If you would like to plan your visit around it, check the specific event dates. On milling and baking days at the mills, you can try warm mill bread and freshly baked butter cake. At the Rila Feinkostwelt, you can sample, buy and learn more about a wide variety of products.
Explore on foot and by bike
The HollenmĂĽhle car park and motorhome parking area are starting points for hikes and bike rides, and offer overnight stays. One signposted cycling loop is the easy, 18.7-kilometre Stemweder Feld- und Wiesen-Route. It starts and ends at the car park at Haus des Gastes, BuchhofstraĂźe 17, 32351 Stemwede. Its length, difficulty rating and shared start and finish point give you specific details to help you decide whether to include this route in your plans. As route details may change, it is worth checking the latest information before setting off.
Discover more destinations: Rahden, Hille, Minden, LĂĽbbecke, Preussisch Oldendorf, Petershagen, Bad Oeynhausen, Porta Westfalica.
See the main travel overview: Minden-LĂĽbbecke.
