Author: Grafschaft Bentheim Tourismus e.V.
In the Footsteps of the Bronze Age, Uelsen
This walk around Uelsen takes you through a landscape shaped by the Ice Age, heathland, woods and meadows, whilst also offering deep insights into the region’s early history. Visible burial mounds, significant finds from the Bronze Age and a view of the famous golden cup of Uelsen make the route particularly appealing. Amidst traces of the Stone and Bronze Ages and stunning natural scenery, history comes to life here in a fascinating way.
Details
Creation:
Last update:
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Last review:
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Activity: Walking -
Distance: 14.88 mi -
Average duration: 7h 15 -
Difficulty: Difficult -
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Back to start: Yes -
Ascent: + 430 ft -
Descent: - 417 ft -
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Highest point: 289 ft -
Lowest point: 98 ft
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Country:
Netherlands
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City:
Halle -
Start/End: N 52.45868° / E 6.87358° -
Hour-by-hour weather
Waypoints
- S/E : mi 0 - alt. 276 ft
- S/E : mi 14.88 - alt. 276 ft
Notes
Worth a visit
The area around Uelsen is fascinating in many respects, both from a geological and an archaeological perspective. This archaeologically extremely interesting area consists largely of gravel and sandy soils, and the landscape – which is in places very hilly and interspersed with woodland and meadows – bears the strong imprint of the last Ice Age. Around 230,000 years ago, the ridge stretching from Enschede to Uelsen was formed as a terminal moraine of the Scandinavian ice sheet. Part of this ridge is the 85-metre-high Poascheberg, the second-highest point in the County of Bentheim. At its highest point, the Lönsberg, stands a 35-metre-high observation tower, offering a unique view over the County of Bentheim, the Emsland and the neighbouring Netherlands.
Numerous archaeological finds have shown that the first people lived in this area as far back as the Stone and Bronze Ages. For instance, in 1840, a golden cup 11.5 centimetres high was found on the Spöllberg, north-east of Uelsen, which could be dated to the Bronze Age. The cup, estimated to date from around 1500 BC, is still considered the oldest gold vessel ever found in Europe. A replica of the cup can be admired in the Old Town Hall in Uelsen.
The region around Uelsen is well known to many history enthusiasts due to its large number of Bronze Age burial mounds and numerous traces of settlements from the Neolithic period. Many of the burial mounds are still clearly visible today.
Another cluster of burial mounds is situated in Getelo, to the south-west of Uelsen, known as the ‘Söven Pölle’. Anyone walking through the countryside in this hilly area, which is largely covered in broom heath, will come across countless other burial mounds in many places.
From April to October, the Bronze Age Farm in Uelsen invites visitors on a special journey of discovery. During this period, visitors have the opportunity to learn how our ancestors lived in this region more than 100 generations ago.
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