Glandorf might not be easy to locate, but once you’re in the area you’ll be glad you found it.
Glandorf with its six villages lies in Lower Saxony, not too far from the town of Osnabrück and bordering North Rhine-Westphalia as well as the Teutoburg Forest. Then there are a handful of spa towns nearby.
That’s some fantastic real estate, isn’t it? So it’s not surprising that you’ll find some wonderful sightseeing and wellness around the area.
It wasn’t always like this. In 1636 the entire town was charred and gutted by the Swedes during the dreaded Thirty Years’ War. Now almost four hundred years later, Glandorf is a town along the 170km Friedensroute (Peace Route) that tells the story of the Peace of Westphalia — the treaty that ended the three decade conflict.
That’s not the only scenic route that brings you to Glandorf. The Grenzgängerroute comes through — this one being 150km of cafes and country houses. If you’re looking for a gentler, calming route to follow, this one’s the one to take.
You might be here for a while before you’ve run off on one of those scenic routes. Start at the Glandorf Windmill, a 19th century Gallery Dutch that was in use for almost a hundred years.
Also from the 19th century is the church of St. Marien in Schwege, whose huge stone tower dominates the structure. The St. Johannis Church is much older, as it was built in the 13th century.
The other mill in Glandorf is the Merschmühle, that’s been working for the town for more than 750 years — albeit today it’s much more eco-friendly than back in the Middle Ages.
Speaking of eco-friendly, Glandorf has this huge solar park that harnesses solar energy — making Glandorf really good for our environment.
The sun is also good for growing all of Glandorf’s crops, including asparagus and strawberries. Delish!
Once sufficiently fed it’s time to hit up Hof Högemann, a medieval site that was once had a moat; was used as a prison; and is now the venue for Glandorf’s Local History Museum.
As with its scenic routes, Glandorf isn’t a one-pony town. The other museum here is the Museum of Agricultural Engineering.
I think all that we have left to see is the old Cistern at Thieplatz, and the stones called David and Goliath. The giant Goliath stone weighs a whopping 63 tons, while David is a mere 4 to 5 tons. Either way, they were both put here sometime during the last Ice Age.
A bike ride out to see David and Goliath would really be ideal. There’s an extensive network of bike trails that’ll take you all over the area — and beyond if you’re so interested.
I’m not, I think I’ll stay here for a while and eat up some of those strawberries. ;-)
