Discover Ostercappeln

Those who choose Ostercappeln as a travel destination can combine nature and culture. In the Venner Moor, areas that were drained and used for industrial purposes lie directly beside restored areas. The direct contrast between former use and restoration shapes the view of the landscape. The municipality of Ostercappeln is also home to Lake Kronensee, which covers an area of 400,000 square metres. The lake and the moor offer different landscape highlights for planning your trip.

Trails through the moor and surrounding area

The seven-kilometre Venner Moor Trail leads from Gasthaus Beinker through the nature reserve. The OC 1 cycle route is 15.63 kilometres long and leads, among other places, to the Ludwig Windthorst Memorial in Hitzhausen. Another cycling route, TERRA.trail 4 – DiVa-Tour Plus, runs through Ostercappeln, Bad Essen, and Bohmte. The information distinguishes between route length, a named destination, and several towns the routes pass through. This makes it possible to compare the shorter moor trail with the longer OC 1, while the DiVa-Tour Plus offers a different route choice by passing through three towns. When planning, it is therefore not just the number of kilometres that matters, but also whether you prefer a route through a nature reserve, a destination in Hitzhausen, or a bike tour through several towns.

Church, archaeological finds, and museums

In the centre of Ostercappeln, St. Lambertus Church shapes the townscape; it is also Ostercappeln’s landmark. Finds from the exhibition “The Schnippenburg Mystery – Remarkable Finds from the Celtic Era” are on display in the foyer of Ostercappeln Town Hall. The church and the finds offer different cultural highlights: the prominent building in the centre on the one hand, and finds from the Celtic era on the other. The outdoor area around the Darpvenner megalithic stones in the municipality of Ostercappeln has also been redesigned.

In the municipality of Ostercappeln, a public guided tour takes place at the Schnippenburg Museum year-round on the first Sunday of every month at 2:30 p.m. Check the operator’s latest information before travelling. Guided tours at the museum are also available year-round for booking, as are combined Iron Age experiences at the museum, the Schnippenburg excavation site, and the Iron Age House, along with school trips and group excursions. Check specific dates and availability for bookable formats in advance.

Venner Mill and events throughout the year

In Venne, in the municipality of Ostercappeln, the Venner Mill village museum is housed in a watermill built in 1725 on the Venner Mühlenbach stream. It showcases historic milling technology at its original location. The mill island’s outdoor grounds feature historic buildings from the Venne area: a smithy, a bakehouse, a cottage, a bleaching hut, and a farmhouse garden. Volunteer millers demonstrate how to grind grain with millstones. The mill building, historic technology, and a specific work process can thus be seen as different aspects of the museum.

Stone-oven bread, butter cake, and Mühlentropfen are served in the “Pferdestall” at Venner Mill. Check before your visit whether this offer is currently available. The Venner Folk Spring festival takes place every year in May; check current event dates before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Wallenhorst, Bramsche, Nortrup, Rieste, Merzen, Ankum, Melle, Quakenbrück

For the overview of the wider region: Osnabrück.