Situated at the edge of the Luneburg Heath, Wietze has become well known through its oil industry. In 1858, one of the world’s first successful oil drillings was achieved creating in its aftermath a true oil boom. A section of the old Wietze oilfield houses the German Oil Museum. On a 2 hectare section of the Wietze oilfield which was closed down in 1963 there are drilling and winding installations dating from around 1900 to the present times. An interesting exhibition explains entertainingly the commodity oil, its extraction and its manifold use in the production of items ranging from aspirin to the tooth brush. A reconstructed seeping track of the oil mine demonstrates how oil was extracted in Wietze also by underground mining. The Stechinelli Chapel and the Stechinelli Well in Wietze-Wieckenberg are worth a visit when planning to stay in Wietze. At the Forest Smithy Museum on park-like grounds south of Wieckenberg the smelting of limonite to iron is demonstrated to the visitor. In fine weather, the view from the top of the Wietzer Ölberg, a landfill of oil sand, over the surrounding area of Wietze is rather impressive. Where once the “black gold” dominated the countryside, the visitor today finds a modern municipality offering extensive sports and leisure facilities. Recreation for the whole family, relaxing and tranquil or active and dynamic. Here almost all requirements are fulfilled.
wietze@tourismus-region-celle.de
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