The fascinating world of geology: lots of geological phenomena and natural wonders are waiting to be discovered in Osnabrücker Land. In the TERRA.vita Nature Park, a UNESCO Global Geopark, themed walking trails and cycle routes lead you to dinosaur tracks and into quarries or mines.
Nature- and UNESCO
Geopark TERRA.vita
300 million years of geological history up close
Dinosaur footprints on the wall? Ocean waves in the rocks? Where can you find such things? In the TERRA.vita UNESCO Global Geopark! This protected landscape in Osnabrücker Land is a nature park covering 1,550 square kilometres, and it’s very old – more than 300 million years old. In the Teutoburg Forest and Wiehen Hills, you’ll find peat bogs and heathlands, springs and rivers, rock formations, canyons, terminal moraines and fields of glacial erratics. And traces of human activity such as quarries and clay pits, archaeological monuments and relics of old land use; all told, there are 100 natural monuments and geological phenomena to marvel at. But where to begin? Maybe it’s best to get a bird’s eye view first: You can enjoy a magnificent panorama from the Hermannsturm tower on the Dörenberg.
A walker’s paradise in Osnabrücker Land
A splendid selection of walks await
If you like to walk, you’ll love the TERRA.tracks. Where there was once a prehistoric ocean, now more than 80 themed walking trails invite you to explore Osnabrücker Land on foot. Circular routes range from three to 19 kilometres and lead you through mixed forests, peat bogs and meadows, along narrow paths, broad woodland paths or field margins. And always with nature, landscape and cultural history in view – whether on the Orchid Meadow near Hagen, the Dinosaur Trail at Barkhausen or the TERRA.track Erz-Steig in Hasbergen.
Cycling through Earth’s history
Experience it by bike
Prefer to speed along field tracks on two wheels, stopping off at castles and megalithic tombs along the way? Or marvel at fossils and the remains of Roman culture? Then off you go! The network of cycle routes in the TERRA.vita Nature and Geopark covers 4,000 kilometres, and TERRA.trails serve as themed tours to places of special interest for geological history. Of course, some would rather just make progress, heading west or north past old mills and pretty gardens.
TERRA.trails
Whether it’s a relaxed cycling tour for families or a challenging route for experienced cyclists – the TERRA.trails offer something to suit everyone.
Indoor highlights in Osnabrücker Land
Make rainy days exciting
If it rains, there’s plenty to do indoors, for instance at Osnabrück’s Museum am Schölerberg with its interactive environment exhibition and planetarium. Or at the Varusschlacht Museum and Kalkriese Park, which focuses on the clash between Romans and Germanic tribes in 9 CE. Not only does it bear the Museum Association’s quality seal, it also holds the child-friendly Kinderferienland Niedersachsen and the barrier-free Tourism for All certifications.
Nature- and UNESCO Geopark TERRA.vita
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