Bispingen



Bispingen is a small country town in Lower Saxony and a great base for exploring the Lüneburg Heath. Within its municipal boundaries lies the highest hill on the Heath, the Wilseder Berg (169 m), as well as the iconic heath village and tourist hotspot of Wilsede.

Understand
The Heath is a very popular German tourist destination and recreation area for the big cities of Hamburg, Bremen and Hanover, and Bispingen lies right at the heart of it on the sleepy little River Luhe and a good 15 km northeast of the next largest town, Soltau. Bispingen has been developed to cater for the expanding tourist market and features Snow dome, Ralf Schumacher's Go-Kart hall and a Centre Parcs village on the outskirts. But it also lies within the Lüneburg Heath Nature Park with its quaint farming villages, forests and rolling heathlands grazed by moorland sheep (Heidschnucken), all linked by a network of signposted trails and cycleways.

By plane
Bispingen is little more than a one-hour drive from the international airports of Hamburg, Bremen and Hanover

Bispingen is accessible from the airport at Hanover which is a main international airport with regular flights from all over the world with services to most European capitals and major cities. The airport is 11 km north of Hanover centre and has easy access to the autobahn. It is the ninth largest airport in Germany and is one of very few German airports which are open 24 hours a day, although there are few flights between 23:00 and 04:00.

There is also an international airport in Bremen which has many of the budget airlines operating regular flights to most European countries. The airport is close to the city centre, and there is a tram which departs every 5 to 10 minutes (on Sunday evenings up to 30 min) to Bremen city centre. The journey takes 11 minutes and costs €2.30. This airport is also close to the autobahn links but is a 116-km journey to Bispingen.

Hamburg International Airport is approximately 8 km and is the fifth busiest airport in Germany. The Hamburg S-Bahn system Line 1 connects the airport with the main Bahnhof in Hamburg city centre in about 25 min (€3, Dec 2019). The airport is 68 km away from Bispingen and will take approximately 50 minutes by car. It is still a viable alternative to Hanover and Bremen airports.

By train
The nearest mainline railway station is Soltau, which has regular bus services to Bispingen. Soltau runs Regionalbahn (RB) trains. Trains run from Soltau from roughly 05:00-22:00. It is possible to get to Soltau from Hanover, Bremen and Hamburg.

By car
Bispingen is easy to get to by road, lying 2 km off the A7 motorway from Hanover to Hamburg, at junction 43 "Bispingen".

Access from Hanover would be via the A7 exiting at junction 43 "Bispingen", the journey is 100 km and will take approximately 45 minutes.

Driving from Bremen (westerly direction) will be on the autobahn A27 which connects to the A7 to the south-east of Walsrode. Driving distance is 116 km and an average driving time is 70 minutes.

Travelling from the north (Hamburg) is also via the route A7 exiting at junction 43. Driving distance is 68 km and an average driving time is 45 minutes

By bus
Hamburg is the only large city with an airport that runs buses direct to Bispingen. There are scheduled coach services from Hamburg town centre on coach line No 6920.

Get around
The town of Bispingen is small enough to walk or cycle around, but some of the sights are a car or bus drive away.

Taxis are available from:

Rental bikes are available from:



Buildings

 * Treppenspeicher storage barn in Volkwardingen, one of the oldest of this typical Lüneburg Heath barn, built 1600, rebuilt 1702, restored 2001.
 * Treppenspeicher storage barn in Volkwardingen, one of the oldest of this typical Lüneburg Heath barn, built 1600, rebuilt 1702, restored 2001.

Places of worship or religious significance
 * Ole Kerk. 1353 church, made of boulders; used for baptisms, weddings, other services and concerts; open daily Easter to New Year's Eve
 * Bronze Age burial ground in Volkwardingen with Bronze Age tumuli

Buy
Bispingen is only a small country town with a few basic shops, but you can pick up souvenirs of the Heath and typical heathland produce at Der kleine Speicher in the high street (Haupstr. 7).



Eat
The food available in Bispingen is typical of most German towns. A selection of fast food type "Imbis" restaurants that serve the typical bratwursts and gyros dishes and a smattering of higher end restaurants that serve fixed menus.

Connect
An Internet Cafe is available in the Tourist-Information Office in Borsteler Straße 6 Bispingen, other Internet cafes are available in larger towns in the area surrounding Bispingen such as Soltau, Bergen and most hotels will offer a wifi service. Mobile coverage in the area for the main suppliers, Vodafone, O2, D1 is good.

Go next

 * Hanover is the capital of Lower Saxony, hosting many cultural events, annual commercial expositions such as the Hanover Fair and the CeBIT. Every year Hanover hosts the Schützenfest Hannover, the world's largest Marksmen's Fun Fair, and the Oktoberfest Hannover, which is the second largest Oktoberfest in the world.
 * Hamburg, Germany's second city and largest port, is around 40 minutes away on the A7/A1 motorways.
 * Bremen, Bremen, home to the world famous Town Musicians, puts itself on the map as the pulsating, multifaceted heart of North West Germany. A popular hive of heritage, science, high technology and space industry keeps up breathtakingly pacy innovations. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser.
 * Celle town is lined with half-timbered houses, most of them built in the 16th century. There are a lot of excellent shops in the pedestrian precinct.
 * Walsrode Bird Park, in Walsrode about ½ hour away, is the largest bird park in the world and suitable for all ages.
 * Serengeti Park, not far from Walsrode, is the largest safari park in Europe and a must for families.
 * Soltau Therme: thermal baths that offer swimming in and outdoor, sauna, general wellness including cosmetics, massages and general therapy, as well a restaurant.
 * Heide Park is a theme park in Soltau, Lower Saxony. With an overall area of over 850,000 m², it is one of the largest amusement parks and the biggest in Northern Germany.
 * Timmerdorfer Strand has sandy beaches, lifestyle, culture, hotels, bars, nightlife and a multitude of events hosted throughout the year.
 * Dinosaur Park, : 130 million years ago, huge herds of dinosaurs roamed the countryside around the Steinhuder Sea. The footprints of these huge creatures can be found in the park.