From the looks of it you might think Coppenbrügge in Lower Saxony isn’t all that much. It’s not brimming with medieval churches or castles. Nor is it chocked full of outdoorsy things to do.
Yeah, right! Nothing could be further from the truth. ;-)
Coppenbrügge does have castles. Well, at least they were castles at one time. The most visited is Castle Coppenbrügge (located at Schloss Straße 1), which was built along a bustling trade and military route at the turn of the 13th century. The Thirty Years’ War kind of put an to the castle’s glory.
The Schloß in Bisperode (one of Coppenbrügge’s 12 districts) is exceptional and romantic looking with its moat. The village’s church might not seem like much, but I think it’s fantastic.
And Coppenbrügge did have a medieval monastery. Monastery Marienau (in the village of Marienau) was created in 1310, and was once a pilgrimage site. Pilgrimages to the monastery stopped after the Reformation swept through the region — and that’s about when the monastery was closed forever. All that remains are the chapel walls, which are preserved.
As if sightseeing around Coppenbrügge isn’t exercise enough, there’s always Nordic Walking (you can rent poles), horseback riding, cycling, or hiking on along the Bergmannsweg — a 21km route through the Osterwald. Picturesque, if I do say so myself. :-)
Coppenbrügge is also great for a variety of festivals and markets held throughout the year. It has both an Advent Market (November) and a Christmas Market (December), a Johanesfest at the end of June, a Summer Festival in August, a Martinifest in mid-October, and both Maibaum and Walpurgisnacht festivities on April 30th and May 1st.
These festivals and markets are pretty popular, so if you can’t find a guesthouse or inn for the night try camping out. There’s also an RV park that’ll only cost you a few Euros a night.
All the better to save your Euros to shop in Coppenbrügge’s markets or to stay a bit longer, don’t ya think? ;-)