Castle Route (large loop)

Dinklage Castle is one of the oldest moated castles in the region and the birthplace of the beatified Cardinal Clemens August Graf von Galen, who entered history as a determined opponent of the Nazis known as the "Lion of Münster." The Cardinal von Galen Foundation dedicates an exhibition to him in the Burgmühle. The castle forest with a 19th-century chapel, wildlife enclosure, and playground offers adventure for the whole family.

Via MÄRSCHENDORF we head to Gut Daren. Baron Münchhausen is said to have performed his famous equestrian trick on the grand staircase. Not far away is the medieval Castrum Vechtense castle complex. The tower, built in historic timber construction, is located on a three-island site in the Citadel Park. The Vechta Museum offers history you can experience firsthand. We continue to Gut Füchtel. The former moated castle from the 14th century now houses a renowned training and breeding facility for Oldenburg horses. The neighboring Gut Welpe is home to the Vechta Golf Club, valued for its tree-lined course. In the former manor house by the mill pond, there is a restaurant with a beer garden and playground.

Along fields and meadows we reach LOHNE. The Lohne Industrial Museum is the industrial memory of the region but also makes the path to modern plastic manufacturing tangible. To the south of the town we rest in the café of the Gut Brettberg Golf Club. The adjacent Hopener Forest is exciting for both young and old: the 16th-century moated castle, the Hopener Forest trail with climbing, balancing, and discovery stations, and the spacious Rehwiese forest playground invite you to linger. We cycle over the centuries-old "From Castle to Castle" trail system to the next significant natural area, the Dinklage castle forest, and from there to the half-timbered settlement Bussjans Hof. The nearby Schweger Mill with the grain path is also worth a visit.

In QUAKENBRÜCK we pass through the historic old town with its more than 130 preserved half-timbered houses and the "Hohe Pforte," the only remaining city gate from 1485. After this last stop, we return to DINKLAGE.

DETOUR

• Quakenbrück City Museum
• Gut Vehr, swingolf
• Hof Scherbring, Wulfenau