Blender Tour

Built in 1872, the mill is a gallery-style Dutch mill; however, it was shut down early on and fell into disrepair. Restoration of the mill began in 1997, and it was eventually handed over to the Blender Harvest and Mill Association in 2004. Since 2005, the mill has served as an official branch office of the Thedinghausen Registry Office. Now cross the street and drive along Blender Hauptstraße into the village of Blender. A short while later, turn left onto the street “Auf den Linteln,” which leads directly to the Blender Church. This is the seat of the parish office, which oversees the parishes of Blender, Intschede, and Oiste. The current main building was constructed in 1827. Three steel bells have been ringing above the tower hall since 1956. In the churchyard, you’ll find memorials to the victims of both world wars, as well as the Lutherstein, which was erected in 1917 to mark the 400th anniversary of the posting of the Theses. The Furtwängler organ is the crown jewel of the Blender Church and is a designated historic monument. Now drive past the church onto Hackstraße, turn left at the end of the street onto “Mühlenberg,” and follow this road to Blender Lake. The lake is part of the old Weser riverbed and is a popular swimming spot and a lovely place to rest in the summer. Turn left behind the lake, passing the Glockenkuhle and a historic boundary stone, and follow the road until you reach the street “Am Zaaster.” Here, continue straight ahead, passing another historic boundary stone. These stones, dating from 1613, are two of a total of 33 that for many years marked the border between the Archdiocese of Bremen and the County of Hoya. This border stretched from the Weser River opposite Hutbergen to the Eyter River near Hörsten (south of Schwarme). To reach the Hesse family’s manor in Varste with its historic garden, turn left at the Mühlenwiese onto the former Mühlenweg. There is also a boundary stone there. Continue along the road, past the picturesque granaries and Lake Varste, until you reach the church in Oiste. The Oiste church was first mentioned in a document in 1420. The current building was constructed in 1832. Next to the church’s main entrance are three 18th-century children’s gravestones adorned with portraits of children. Then drive to the rest area on the L 203 and turn left before the dike toward Amedorf. In Reer, turn right onto “Osterfeldweg” and continue toward the Weser dike until you reach “Intscheder Dorfstraße.” On your right, you’ll see the Weser weir with the Langwedel power plant, built in 1958. At the “Flotten Weser” boat dock, you can also continue your tour by boat toward Bremen or Nienburg. In Intschede, take the street “An der Aue” to reach the church in Intschede. Right next to it is the Stöver Farm, known for its delicious farm-fresh ice cream. Intschede has had its own church since 1120. The current building was constructed in 1819 in the Neoclassical style. The tower’s copper-clad roof, the red paint, and the black slate roofing give the impression of a rural church, an impression further enhanced by the surrounding deciduous trees. The altarpiece is a copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting of The Last Supper. The tour then continues to the “Browiede” restaurant, located directly on the Weser River. From the former harbor tavern of the water level observer Christoph Kelling, an approximately 2.5-kilometer-long walking path leads through the former harbor basin on the Weser toward the Weser weir and past the Intschede farm ice cream stand back to the Browiede restaurant. Riding through the beautiful Wesermarsch region with views of the Weser, you’ll pass the historic Intschede sluice on your way to Nottorf. Behind the dike, turn left onto the unpaved Lindweg and ride past greenhouses to Wulmstorf, where you’ll find the Arndt’s Meyer farm café on the L 203. At a sharp left-hand curve, turn right toward Hiddestorf and ride past the half-timbered buildings with thatched roofs at the Waltring farm to Gahlstorf, then continue on to Holtum-Marsch to the Klinker family’s Gerkenshof—well worth a visit—with its two-story granary. From there, take the “Heidstraße” past the wind turbines toward Laake/Seestedt. If you follow this road, after a short while you’ll find yourself back at Blender Lake and, via the “Blender Hauptstraße,” past the Mama Mia pizzeria and the Fu Thai restaurant, you’ll return to the starting point at the Blender Mill.