Bassum in the Diepholz District of Lower Saxony is lucky enough to be located on the Grüner Ring and good 30 km or 19 miles from Bremen.
Three rings of sightseeing, historic railways (like the Moorland Express), and 800 kilometers of bicycle paths all to explore the surrounding countryside, plus quite a few half timbered houses.
The Grüner Ring is quite famous for the many outdoor garden concerts and quite a few beer gardens tucked neatly away! You won’t find many big name hotels here, but the small B & B types work quite well in the local landscape.
Bassum is home to many fine local restaurants. There’s also an outlet mall located between Bassum and Bremen for some great discount shopping on brand names.
Its Petting Zoo (within the Grüner Ring) has some 400 animals and 80 species for the entire family to enjoy. You’ll find everything from apes to antelopes but the zoo’s specialty is birds including rare parrots, pheasant, and swans.
After a day of all that exercise, take a dip in one of Bassum’s two pools (open daily).
The area itself dates to sometime around the 9th century when a monastery was built here in the 860’s and was once part of the Holy Roman Empire. Many of the original monastery’s buildings are gone. A fire in 1327 destroyed many more but the 13th century Romanesque and Gothic style church still stands. The church’s towers were so badly damaged in the fire and were never rebuilt.
There is so much beautiful artwork to be found here, including a shrine and reliquary from 1150 holding the relics of St. Viktor, though the gold decoration on the wood was stolen so many years ago. The relics of St. Benedict and his sister are interred here. Life in the monastery was quite difficult for the ladies of the nobility after the monastery tried to implement Benedictine rule in the early Middle Ages, such as strict enclosure and not allowed to leave of their own volition.
At least you’ll be able to come on yours to visit this amazing piece of history!
