Nature & Outdoor Activities
Route of Megalithic Culture – a mysterious prehistoric realm
The Route of Megalithic Culture, which runs for around 330 kilometres through the Osnabrücker Land and Weser-Ems regions, connects some 33 remarkable megalithic cultural sites and more than 70 megalithic tombs from the Neolithic period.
During the Stone Age, farmers would use boulders to create imposing burial chambers for their ancestors. Archaeologists refer to these monumental structures, which are older than the Egyptian pyramids, as megalithic tombs. The Route of Megalithic Culture takes visitors on an archaeological journey of discovery through dolmens and passage graves, winding through the Osnabrücker Land region, the Emsland district, the Oldenburger Münsterland district and the Wildeshauser Geest Nature Park. The incredible granite constructions along the route were brought to Germany from Scandinavia during the penultimate Ice Age.
And the special location of these prehistorical stone tombs is nothing short of fascinating in itself. Legendary megalithic tombs, such as the "Glaner Braut" and the "Heidenopfertisch" are very close together, bringing to life 5,000 years of local history amidst the idyllic wooded moors and heathland and just a stone's throw away from picturesque villages and quaint little towns.