In Wettringen, water activities, local history and tours offer different ways to shape your stay. The Haddorfer Lakes recreation area lies in the north of the municipality; the heritage house and the routes described there offer other perspectives on the town.
Nature and Water Around Wettringen
The Brechte Nature Reserve (ST-123) is located in Wettringen and covers 45.43 hectares. Together with the Haddorfer Lakes, it offers two clearly distinct starting points for nature-focused trip planning: a designated protected area and a recreation area with a range of water activities.
The lakes in the Haddorfer Lakes recreation area are used by anglers, sailors, surfers and swimmers. One of the lakes was designed as a bathing lake. This helps distinguish the options available: swimming is one of the activities mentioned for the lakes, while the bathing lake was specifically created for swimming. Swimming conditions may vary by season, so check what applies on your travel dates before visiting.
Another option for a swim is the indoor swimming pool in Wettringen. It has a 32-degree Celsius leisure pool for toddlers. If you would like to plan your stay around it, check the opening hours for your chosen date.
Heritage House and Local History
Ahlers Heritage House is about 500 years old and is the oldest building in the municipality of Wettringen. Wettringen Heritage House contains numerous exhibits of traditional crafts, including a spinning wheel, a loom and information panels about blue-dye printing. The historical perspective thus ranges from the age of the building to various craft techniques. The heritage house also includes an adjoining farmyard and park.
Hiking and Route Planning
A varied hiking route leads from the heritage house through the Aa farming community to Maxhafen, along the Steinfuter Aa, past a Spieker (traditional granary) and back to the centre of Wettringen. Check the current trail markers before setting out. The Vechtetal Route is another useful way to find your bearings in the area and is easily accessible from the town centre. Check access and signage before your trip.
The northern route of the 100 Castles Route also starts and ends in Wettringen. When planning, this is a different point of reference from the Vechtetal Route, for which accessibility from the town centre is the main consideration. In the wider destination of Steinfurt, the 100 Castles Route connects notable architectural monuments in the district of Steinfurt. This makes it possible to distinguish the local starting and finishing point in Wettringen from the regional route as a whole.
Getting There and the Wider Region
Wettringen no longer has its own railway station. Travel by train via Rheine station or Burgsteinfurt station, then continue to Wettringen on the R80. If you plan to use this connection, check the timetable for your travel date and allow for the transfer between the train and the R80.
The wider destination of Steinfurt offers further route options at a regional level. The Ems Cycle Route runs for around 60 kilometres through the district of Steinfurt. The twelve NaTourismus routes pass through almost all the towns and villages in the Steinfurt and Tecklenburg regions, are between 25 and 54 kilometres long, and are designed to help visitors discover local flora and fauna. These details describe the wider area of Steinfurt; for planning a visit to Wettringen, the local hiking route and the route connections mentioned above provide their own points of reference.
Discover more destinations: Haddorf, Lienen, Recke, IbbenbĂĽren, Hopsten, Rheine, Ochtrup, Westerkappeln.
Go to the wider travel overview: Steinfurt.
