In 1974 the town of Söhlde in Lower Saxony was created from nine villages, some just normal everyday towns; the others are quite historical.
One of the most historical is Nettlingen. Its 1000 year-old frieze of the New Testament at the Romanesque St. Mary’s Church is what you need to see. The poor church suffered a fire in the 1970’s, but thankfully the frieze was restored to its medieval glory; and its Baroque altar suffered little damage.
You also got to see its water mill, built more than 400 years ago (it’s not uncommon to see all sorts of celebrations taking place here); and I would never dream of not telling you about the Castle Nettlingen. See, I just did. ;-)
Steinbrück has a castle, as well. Let me repeat that, it had a castle. The ruins of a 14th century moated castle in Steinbrück are close to the Kehwiederturm, a mill used for making gunpowder. Today, the mill was converted to a church by the refugees fleeing after World War II.
It’s OK if this old mill isn’t a mill anymore; there are more than a dozen throughout Söhlde’s villages. One of the old mills is a registry office, another is now someone’s dream home. Lucky them, right?
A leisurely bicycle ride around Söhlde is a fantastic way to see all the mill, as well as getting a proper workout. It gets a bit chilly in Lower Saxony, so if you’re not here in mid-summer, make sure you wear some layers.
This is also why Söhlde’s outdoor swimming pool is only open May to September. This is a lovely way to sit with the family for some good clean fun. Gonna be here for a while? Invest in a season pass, this way you’re able to enjoy it the pool complex the whole time you’re here.
And with nine villages within Söhlde, chances are you will be here long enough to enjoy the pool more than once. ;-)
