Bad Bevensen and the Surrounding Area

The Heath Monasteries are a group of historic monasteries in the Lüneburg Heath that were founded in the Middle Ages and play an important role in the region’s history and culture. These monasteries are often built in the Romanesque or Gothic styles and feature significant works of art and architectural elements.

Some of the most famous Heath monasteries are:

• Ebstorf Abbey: Known for the Ebstorf World Map, a medieval *Mappa Mundi* depicting 13th-century knowledge of the world. The abbey was founded in the 12th century and served as a center of spiritual life.
• Medingen Abbey: Founded in the 13th century, it was originally a Cistercian convent. Today, it is a Protestant convent and is known for its historic abbey complex and well-preserved buildings
• Wienhausen Abbey: Also founded in the 13th century, it is known for its Gothic architecture and rich artistic treasures, including painted wooden ceilings and medieval tapestries.

The spa park, which covers approximately 18 hectares, was not originally planned or designed as an artificial park, but has grown organically and is largely laid out in a natural style. This expansive park, with its old trees and numerous green spaces that invite you to linger, connects the Iodine-Brine Spa, the Kurhaus, the Rosenbad, the Neptune Fountain, the Sonnenfalle, and the sundial to the Old Town and is located right next to your country house. Learn more about this beautiful, well-maintained park on a guided tour or a rickshaw ride.

The Lüneburg Heath is a vast heathland in northern Germany, known for its characteristic vegetation of heather, juniper, and pine trees. This region spans parts of the states of Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein. Especially during the flowering season in late summer, the heath attracts many tourists who come to enjoy the picturesque, lilac-colored sea of flowers. The landscape is also home to many rare animal species and offers numerous recreational activities such as hiking, biking, and horseback riding. A well-known nature reserve within the Lüneburg Heath is the Lüneburg Heath Nature Park, which promotes the preservation of the traditional cultural landscape.

Water deity with a trident in the Bad Bevensen Spa Park. At the junction between the pedestrian zone in the old town and the spa park, not far from the Göhrde Bridge, stands the Neptune Fountain. It forms a harmonious transition between the urban landscape and the greenery of the spa park. The 2.40-meter-tall bronze casting by sculptor Bernd Maro from Hanover depicts the water deity with a trident in a playful pose. The water gushes toward the sculpture in an arc. Two fish—one with which Neptune is playing, and another leaping out of the water—symbolize the diversity of aquatic creatures that constantly accompany him. At Neptune’s feet lies a “sea trumpet,” the Triton’s horn. According to legend, Triton, Neptune’s son, used this curved conch shell to strike fear and terror into the giants during their battle with the gods.

A paradise for sun worshippers even during the cooler months. Soak up the warmth any time of year. The approximately 60-square-meter sunroom, with its strikingly rounded roof, offers a seating area sheltered from the wind and weather. Situated on a slightly elevated site right next to the iodine-brine thermal baths, the “Sonnenfalle” offers an unobstructed view of the expansive spa gardens. Inside, high-quality seating invites you to linger. And on the terrace surrounding the “Sonnenfalle,” you can relax on the swivel wooden chairs—or lie back—while enjoying the view of the expansive spa gardens.

In the Sundial Garden, you’ll find one of the largest sundials in Europe—and a highly sophisticated one at that: The slanted stainless-steel mast rises nearly 16 meters into the sky and reveals far more than just the sun’s position. It may take a little getting used to at first, but if you take the time to explore it, you’ll be rewarded with a wealth of information about calendars, seasons, geography, and astronomy.