Bad Essen: Dinosaur Tracks, Saltwater Park and Culture

Bad Essen offers a variety of options for planning your trip: dinosaur tracks in Barkhausen, trails of varying lengths, the saltwater park, art and activities at the marina. You can choose the excursions that suit your interests.

Dinosaur Tracks in Bad Essen-Barkhausen

The dinosaur tracks in Bad Essen-Barkhausen are open to visitors year-round and are freely accessible. The attraction includes two dinosaur replicas, detailed information boards and a circular trail. Fossilised dinosaur tracks can be seen on a steep rock face. Check the latest visitor information before your trip.

Circular Trails, Saltwater Park and Trail Lengths

The digital town walk is about 1.5 kilometres long. Three terrain therapy circular trails are between three and five kilometres long; the Castles Circular Trail covers just over nine kilometres, and the TERRA.track Megalosaurus is 19 kilometres long. This trail also includes 300 metres of elevation gain. These figures make it easy to compare the different trail lengths.

The digital tour begins and ends at the SoleArena. Its stops include the Himmelsterrasse, the Old Watermill, the Sheepfold, Landhotel Buchenhof, the Old Pharmacy, Karlsplatz, St. Nicholas Church, the Historic Church Square, Hünnefeld Cemetery and the Kaffeemühle. The three terrain therapy circular trails start at the entrance to the saltwater park, opposite the open-air saltwater pool. One of the three health trails follows the PATH OF THE SENSES through the saltwater park. Activity stations invite visitors to listen, see, balance, smell, touch and taste.

You can start the Castles Circular Trail at Harpenfeld village square, with its village pond and forge. The route passes through meadows and parkland, by Ippenburg Castle and over Roseninsel to Hünnefeld Castle, with its English landscape garden and the Alte Rentei café. The TERRA.track Megalosaurus leads to Barkhausen, with views of the dinosaur tracks, and back to Bad Essen. Four other TERRA.tracks are Goethegang, Wildstein, Hünnefelder Tannen and Schwarzer Brink.

The saltworks at the SoleArena in the saltwater park are freely accessible and operate year-round. Breathing, movement and relaxation exercises are held at the SoleArena on Tuesdays from 1:30 to 1:50 p.m., under the guidance of a qualified instructor. Check before your visit whether the session is taking place.

Art, Theatre and the Harbour Promenade

Art exhibitions are held in the Sheepfold by the Bad Essen Art and Museum Society. The range spans painting, applied arts and modern design; exhibition dates vary. Find out in advance what will be on display during your stay. Puppet theatre is performed at the Theatre in the Wagon near the art school. If you are planning to attend a performance, check the current schedule.

At Bad Essen Marina, you can stroll along the harbour promenade or rent a small boat on the Mittelland Canal without a boating licence. The 15 hp motorboats Pauline and Greta are available for trips. Check with the operator in advance to see whether a boat is available.

Discover more travel destinations: Badbergen, Bohmte, Gehrde, Belm, Menslage, Bersenbrück, Bippen, Georgsmarienhütte.

For the overview of the wider region: Osnabrück.