The Heidekreis and our region

The district Heidekreis with its 140,000 inhabitants is located in Lower Saxony, in the Lüneburger Heide (heath). It lies almost completely in the Lüneburger Heide, after which it is named. The district town is Bad Fallingbostel, the most populous towns are Walsrode and Soltau.

The Heidekreis is located in the triangle of Hamburg, Bremen and Hanover. The adjoining motorways provide a perfect connection to the surrounding cities of Hamburg, Bremen and Hanover, which can all be reached in approx. 60 minutes.

In your free time you have the opportunity to do many exciting activities. The spectrum of possibilities is very wide. The beautiful Heidekreis offers something suitable for nature lovers as well as for those interested in sports and culture.

Soltau is home to Heide-Park Resort with its spectacular roller coasters and shows. If you are more interested in wellness and a relaxing thermal bath in salt water, you can relax in the Soltau Therme. Even if there are no mountains in the tranquil Heidekreis, all ski enthusiasts can spend a winter day throughout the year in Bispingen, to the north, in the Snow Dome ski hall. If you want the wind to blow even more around your nose, you can race in the adjacent Ralf Schumacher Kart & Bowlcenter.

The tranquil small town of Bispingen, however, has more leisure attractions to offer: Do you know the crazy house, or the Heide-Kastell Iserhatsche, the bird of prey enclosure and the quad track? The ideal place for a short holiday, with entertainment, fun, nature and sport, is the Center Parc Bispinger Heide. You will be surprised.

Bird lovers can experience a beautiful day in the Weltvogelpark Walsrode. If you want to prove your courage and skill, visit the climbing forest or the football golf course of the Buhl Activity Park in Walsrode. A combination of thrills on a safari and carousel fun awaits you when you visit the Serengeti Park Hodenhagen.

Those interested in history should not miss the German Tank Museum in the small town of Munster.
Since, the Heidjer, as the locals are often called, are very open and cheerful people, they love their feasts. Of course you are sincerely invited to join in the celebrations! The Heideblütenfest with its beautiful Heidekönigin in Schneverdingen, for example, offers an opportunity to do this. In late summer, a purple sea of flowering heather plants stretches out spectacularly. The honey festival in Wietzendorf is also a centre of attraction where the regionally extracted “liquid gold” takes centre stage.

You can practice all kinds of sports in a club of your choice or become a member of the gym. In addition to the sports clubs, the voluntary fire brigades, the German Red Cross, the THW (Technisches Hilfswerk), the shooting clubs, etc. are happy to welcome new members.

The shopping highlight in the district is the Designer Outlet Center in Soltau. More than 80 international brand manufacturers offer their products at reduced prices here. It is located directly at the motorway A 7. So why go shopping in the big city?

The Heidekreis is economically characterized by small and medium-size enterprises. With around 9 million day visitors and over 2 million overnight guests per year tourism is a crucial source of income for the district Heidekreis.

Among the largest employers in the region are Dow Wolff Cellulosics and Wipak in the Walsrode industrial park in Bomlitz, Mondelêz International and Eckes AG in Bad Fallingbostel as well as Hagebau, Röders Gmbh and Harry-Brot in Soltau.
The Bundeswehr is an important economic factor in the city of Munster.

Agriculture and forestry, which occupy about 75% of the district area, also play an important role.

Our charming district is named after the heath, whose vegetation is characterized by the predominant heather (Calluna vulgaris). The heather grows on the regionally typical nutrient-poor and acidic soils, often together with gnarled juniper plants. The Heidekreis is an attraction for nature lovers from all over the world, when the flowering heidekraut covers the wide, treeless heath landscape with a purple carpet once a year, from summer to autumn. To the north of Soltau lies the Lünebuger Heide Nature Park, which extends far beyond the borders of the district.

The Heidschnucke, a very hardy sheep species, has adapted perfectly to the barren soil conditions. You can discover it while exploring the heath.

The rivers Aller, Leine und Böhme offer many possibilities for fishing, swimming, canoeing or rafting and the heath landscape around the Wilseder Berg invites you to go hiking or cycling.