Wedde: Castle, Mill and Nature Areas

Wedde offers a range of options for your trip: explore the history of the castle and mill, compare walking trails through nature areas, or consider water activities. The specific attractions range from a short guided tour of Burcht Wedde to walking routes of varying lengths and with different landscape features.

Castle, Church and Mill

The Wedderborg, also known as Burcht Wedde, Wedderburcht, Addingaborg or Huis te Wedde, is a late-medieval castle surrounded by a moat. It developed from a stone house dating to the 14th century. The Burcht can be visited by appointment; a short guided tour is offered. The museum in Burcht Wedde is open from 1 April to 1 October, Friday to Sunday, from 12 noon to 5 p.m. It is closed Monday to Thursday.

The church also tells its story through various construction phases: at its core, it is a hall church dating to the 13th century, with a polygonal chancel. It was altered in the 15th century, and the west tower dates from 1860. The building thus reveals different periods without conflating them into a single construction phase.

The original De Weddermarke polder mill was built in 1875 and burned down in 1898. It was replaced by the present-day mill, which underwent extensive restoration in 1987. It has not operated as a polder mill for a long time. The mill is currently open on Saturday afternoons, when the miller takes interested visitors on a tour of the building. As opening hours may change, check them before your visit.

Dinosaurs and Arboretum

The Dinosaurium is an interactive children's museum featuring dinosaur models, skeletons and fossils. The exhibits illustrate the co-evolution of plants and animals. At Landgoed Tenaxx's Krijtwoud, visitors can discover roaring, moving dinosaurs. Another activity there is the 40-metre-long Dinostormbaan.

The Hanging Gardens of Arboretum Tenaxx offer a different focus: they are home to the world's largest collection of weeping trees. Those interested in trees and gardens will find something different here from the dinosaur attractions. The beach area at Landgoed Tenaxx was expanded in 2025; visitors can swim, go stand-up paddling and take a boat out there.

Walking Trails and Landscape

Route 2, “De Gaast Wedde,” is a 3.5-kilometre walking trail through the De Gaast nature area. The protected area serves as a floodplain and water storage area when the water level of the Westerwoldse Aa is too high. De Gaast was once part of the Westerwoldse Aa; it was later drained. Route 4, “De Hoorndermeden Wedde,” is also 3.5 kilometres long. It runs past Burcht Wedde and through the Hoorndermeden. Those looking for the longest of the three walking routes described can take Route 3, “Driestromenland Wedde,” a 6.5-kilometre trail running past Burcht Wedde and the Westerwoldse Aa.

The Hoorndermeden is a 110-hectare nature area in the Westerwoldse Aa valley between Wedde and Blijham. A pedestrian bridge, known as a “hoogholtje,” crosses the river there, opening up new walking routes. The Es van Wedde lies immediately north of the village. Its elevated position is visible in places as a steep slope along the road. From there, you can look out over the Westerwoldse Aa valley and its variations in elevation.

For a much longer ride, there is a 45-kilometre mountain biking route between Bellingwolde and Wedde. It starts at Camping Wedderbergen, Molenweg 2, 9698 XV Wedde. The long-distance Westerwoldepad hiking trail starts at the car park of Villapark Weddermeer, Paviljoenweg 2, 9698 XX Wedde. Both starting points are clearly identified; the routes mentioned differ both in length and in activity.

Water and the Leisure Lake

The De Wedderbergen recreational waters cover 12 hectares and offer opportunities for fishing. The large leisure lake is surrounded by wide sandy beaches. Combined with the swimming, stand-up paddling and boating activities in the beach area at Landgoed Tenaxx, there are several ways to enjoy the water, but they are tied to different named locations. When deciding, it is therefore worth noting the specific focus: fishing and sandy beaches at De Wedderbergen, or the activities mentioned in the beach area at Tenaxx.

Discover more destinations: Oudeschans, Bellingwolde, Vriescheloo.

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