Diepholz is a small town in the north of Germany, about halfway between Osnabrück and Bremen. The whole area - the Landkreis - has about 200,000 inhabitants, although the town itself is much smaller.

The residents' main income comes from farming, so the area is essentially rural. As there is little industry around, pollution is not a major problem.

Geography

Like most of northern Germany, the area is flat. There are a few hills to the west of Diepholz (although in Bavaria they probably wouldn't rate a mention) proudly called Stemweder Berge which translates as the 'Stemweder Mountains'.

The area around Diepholz has a lot of varied lakes, the largest being the Duemmer which has an area of approximately 16 square kilometres (ten square miles). The lake is only a ten-minute car journey from the south of Diepholz, and alongside it you can find plenty of chances to explore the local wildlife either by foot or bike. You can also rent boats and take a break on the small stretch of beach, but beware of the bugs.

There are also quite a few creeks, small streams and man-made waterways and the high moisture content in the ground manifests itself in the marsh areas that are quite common in the area. If the weather is right, then these marshes can become quite smelly, making it easy to find Diepholz just by following your nose.

The Town

Diepholz has a pleasant pedestrian area in the centre of town. This is where you'll find the old town hall and several good examples of typical north-German architecture consisting mainly of red brick structures.

Near the small park you will find the 'castle' of Diepholz, which isn't really a castle in the traditional sense, consisting as it does of just three average-sized buildings and a rather small tower. It's now used as the area's courthouse.

One interesting fact about the castle - in its 800 or so years of existence, it has caught fire five or six times. But not once did it catch fire because of war. Apparently it just caught fire.

Shopping

The main shopping areas can be found in the centre of Diepholz where small shops offer all kinds of products. Of course, you won't find any designer shops or expensive clothing or anything like that, but the Lange Strasse, or 'Long Road', is still a great place to visit.

You can also relax by having a coffee or an ice cream in one of the cafés located around the old town hall.

Restaurants

Diepholz provides an amazing number of good places to eat. All restaurants have reasonable prices and tables don't have to be reserved. The only thing that can happen is that one or the other of the restaurants will be closed at an odd time. But don't worry, there will always be some place else to go to.

As far as food is concerned, it's mainly traditionally German fare, such as Sauerkraut or Pretzels. You can also get some international cuisine, such as Italian, Greek and Chinese.

There are also hotels and restaurants around the Duemmer, but they charge a lot for the scenery. The average meal costs about a third to a half more than it would in town.

Sports

As previously mentioned, the whole area is pretty flat and therefore excellent for many sports such as biking, skating and running.

All the fields surrounding Diepholz have small roads leading through them for farming purposes, but they are in such a condition that cycling or running can be easily done and there are endless possibilities for different routes.

Skating needs an even surface, so not all of the roads can be used, but there are still plenty to choose from, having neatly-paved surfaces that shouldn't give you any trouble.

Nightlife

The only thing in town is the cinema and two bistro/pub-type bars.

The recommended nearby town is Bremen, which is not too far by car and you'll be able to choose from a huge variety of different diversions.

If you want something bigger then go to Hamburg, which is about a two-hour journey by car.