The Bundesstraße 214 (B 214) is a federal road that runs from

Lingen Lingen (), officially Lingen (Ems), is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. In 2008, its population was 52,353, and in addition there were about 5,000 people who registered the city as their secondary residence. Lingen, specifically "Lingen (Ems)" is ...

to Brunswick in North Germany.

Route

The B 214 begins on the

Lingen Heights The Lingen Heights (german: Lingener Höhe) is a ''Hügelland'', or landscape of low, rolling hills, up to 91 metres high, in the North German Plain in the western part of the north German state of Lower Saxony. Geography The densely fores ...

, the highest elevation in the

Emsland Landkreis Emsland () is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany named after the river Ems. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Leer, Cloppenburg and Osnabrück, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (district of Steinfur ...

, where it branches off the B 70 and B 213, and runs eastwards in the north of Osnabrück district, where it crosses the

Ankum Heights The Ankum Heights (german: Ankumer Höhe), also called the Fürstenau Hills (''Fürstenauer Berge''), are a ridge of hills up to 140 m high in the western part of the state of Lower Saxony on the North German Plain. Geography The densel ...

in the North

Teutoburg Forest The Teutoburg Forest ( ; german: Teutoburger Wald ) is a range of low, forested hills in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. Until the 17th century, the official name of the hill ridge was Osning. It was first renamed th ...

Wiehengebirge The Wiehen Hills (german: Wiehengebirge, , also locally, just ''Wiehen'') are a hill range in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony in Germany. The hills run from west to east like a long finger away from the main upland area of the Lower Saxon ...

Nature Park. It crosses the A 1 autobahn at the Holdorf exit. The B 214 then continues, crossing the

Damme Hills The Damme Hills are a high, wooded ridge, up to , in the Oldenburg Münsterland in the southern part of the district of Landkreis Vechta, Vechta, in western Lower Saxony, Germany. Geography Location The ridge of the Damme Hills, which is a ...

and runs north of the

Dümmer The Dümmer () or officially Dümmer See is a large lake in southern Lower Saxony (Germany). It has a surface of 13.5 km2 and an average depth of one metre. Its elevation is 37 metres. Dümmer is a popular resort for water sports, but a ...

lake through numerous boggy (''moor'') areas. In Nienburg it crosses the River

Weser The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports of Bre ...

. East of the

Leine The Leine (; Old Saxon ''Lagina'') is a river in Thuringia and Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Aller and the Weser and is long. The river's source is located close to the town of Leinefelde in Thuringia. About downriver, t ...

river B 214 runs parallel to the

Aller Aller may refer to: Places Rivers * Aller (Germany), a major river in North Germany *Aller (Asturian river), a river in Asturias, Spain *River Aller, a small river on Exmoor in Somerset, England Inhabited places in the United Kingdom *Aller, Devo ...

through the southern part of the

Lüneburg Heath Lüneburg Heath (german: Lüneburger Heide) is a large area of heath, geest, and woodland in the northeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It forms part of the hinterland for the cities of Hamburg, Hanover and Bremen a ...

. It crosses the A 7 motorway at the

Schwarmstedt Schwarmstedt is a municipality in the Heidekreis in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the confluence of the rivers Aller and Leine, approx. 20 km south of Bad Fallingbostel, and 30 km east of Nienburg. Further districts of the ...

exit. Behind

Celle Celle () is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the river Aller, a tributary of the Weser, and has a population of about 71,000. Celle is the southern gateway to the Lü ...

it changes direction to the southeast and continues on west of the river

Oker The Oker is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River Aller, in length and runs in a generally northerly direction. Origin and meaning of the name The ...

. In Ohof near

Meinersen Meinersen is a municipality in the Gifhorn (district), district of Gifhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated between the rivers Oker and Aller (Germany), Aller, approx. 12 km west of Gifhorn, and 25 km southeast of Celle. The Mun ...

it runs over the Hanover–Berlin high-speed railway, where there was a level crossing until 1997. Beyond the Wendeburg village of Neubrück it crosses the A 2 motorway and then the

Mittelland Canal The Mittelland Canal, also known as the Midland Canal, (german: Mittellandkanal, ) is a major canal in central Germany. It forms an important link in the waterway network of that country, providing the principal east-west inland waterway connec ...

. Passing through Watenbüttel it finally arrives at Brunswick. It ends there today at Amalienplatz on the central ring road in the town and merges into the B 1.

Districts, towns and villages

*Lower Saxony ** Emsland district ***

Lingen (Ems) Lingen (), officially Lingen (Ems), is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. In 2008, its population was 52,353, and in addition there were about 5,000 people who registered the city as their secondary residence. Lingen, specifically "Lingen (Ems)" i ...

Thuine Thuine is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the ...

Freren Freren () is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 15 km east of Lingen. Freren is also the seat of the ''Samtgemeinde A ''Samtgemeinde'' (; plural: ''Samtgemeinden'') is a type o ...

Andervenne Andervenne is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, an ...

** Osnabrück district *** Fürstenau, Ankum,

Bersenbrück Bersenbrück (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Bessenbrügge'') is a town in the Osnabrück (district), district of Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Hase, approx. 30 km north of Osnabrück. Bersenbrück is the seat of ...

, Gehrde,

Badbergen Badbergen is a municipality in the district of Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It lies on the River Hase The Hase is a long river of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Ems, but part of its flow goes to the Else, th ...

** Vechta district *** Holdorf,

Steinfeld (Oldenburg) Steinfeld is a municipality in the Vechta (district), district of Vechta, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 16 km southwest of Vechta, and 40 km northeast of Osnabrück. References

Vechta (district) {{Ve ...

** Diepholz district ***

Diepholz Diepholz (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Deefholt'') is a town and capital of the district of Diepholz in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the rivers Hunte and Lohne, approximately 45 km northeast of Osnabrück, and 60 km southwest of ...

, Wetschen,

Rehden Rehden is a municipality in the district of Diepholz, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately eight km east of Diepholz. The 44 TWh Rehden natural gas storage facility connects to the Rehden–Hamburg gas pipeline. Rehden is also ...

, Hemsloh, Barver, Wehrbleck,

Sulingen Sulingen is a town in the district of Diepholz, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximatively 30 km east of Diepholz, and 45 km south of Bremen. Sister cities * Joniškis, Lithuania People from Sulingen * Walter Momper (born ...

(

ring road A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop, bypass or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city, or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist i ...

), Maasen, Borstel **

Landkreis Nienburg/Weser Nienburg () is a districts of Germany, district (''Landkreis'') in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the districts of Diepholz (district), Diepholz, Verden (district), Verden, Heidekreis, Hanover (district), Han ...

*** Wietzen,

Marklohe Marklohe is a municipality in Lower Saxony, Germany. Geography Geographical location The municipality of Marklohe is located 5 km from Nienburg on the opposite side of the river Weser and midway between Verden (Aller) and Minden. Markl ...

Nienburg/Weser Nienburg (, official name: ''Nienburg/Weser'') (Low German: ''Nienborg'', ''Neenborg'' or ''Negenborg'') is a town and capital of the district Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Geography Situated on the scenic German Timber-Frame Road, Nienbur ...

(Ortsumgehung),

Steimbke Steimbke is a municipality in the Nienburg (district), district Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 12 km east of Nienburg, Lower Saxony, Nienburg, and 40 km northwest of Hanover, in a swamp and heathland, wh ...

, Rodewald **

Soltau-Fallingbostel district Heidekreis ("Heath district") is a district (''Landkreis'') in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Harburg, Lüneburg, Uelzen, Celle, Hanover, Nienburg, Verden and Rotenburg. History Histo ...

*** Gilten,

Essel Essel may refer to: People * André Essel (1918–2005), French businessman * Christian Essel (born 1989), Liberian football player * Christine Essel, American politician * Eileen Essell (1922–2015), English actress * Frank Abor Essel-Cobbah, Gh ...

Buchholz (Aller) Buchholz (Aller) () is a municipality in the Heidekreis district, in Lower Saxony, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after ...

Celle district Celle () is a district (''Landkreis'') in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Uelzen, Gifhorn, Hanover and Heidekreis. Geography The district is located in the southernmost parts of the L ...

***

Wietze Wietze is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated at the confluence of the river Aller and its tributary Wietze, approx. 15 km west of Celle. It is the site of the German Oil Museum The German O ...

Hambühren Hambühren is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately west of Celle. History From the summer of 1944 to February 1945, a satellite camp of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp was in operatio ...

Wienhausen Wienhausen is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is known for Wienhausen Abbey Wienhausen Abbey or Convent (german: Kloster Wienhausen) near Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany, is a community of Evangelical Luth ...

Eicklingen Eicklingen is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, a ...

Bröckel Bröckel (pronounced with a long ö) is a municipality in the Celle (district), district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It belongs to the collective municipality of Samtgemeinde Flotwedel, Flotwedel with its seat in Wienhausen. Geography ...

(ring road) **

Hanover Region Hanover Region (german: Region Hannover) is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Heidekreis, Celle, Gifhorn, Peine, Hildesheim, Hamelin-Pyrmont, Schaumburg and Nienburg. The H ...

***

Uetze Uetze �ʏt͡səis a municipality in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Fuhse, approximately east of Hanover. Geography Uetze is the easternmost municipality in the Hanover Region. It is bordered by ...

(Village in Kreuzkrug, part of Eltze) ** Gifhorn district ***

(village in Ohof) ** Peine district *** Edemissen,

Wendeburg Wendeburg is a municipality in the district of Peine, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 11 km east of Peine, and 12 km northwest of Braunschweig. Municipal subdivisions * Bortfeld * Harvesse * Meerdorf * Neubrüc ...

(part of Neubrück) **Gifhorn district ***

Schwülper Schwülper is a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a member municipality of the Samtgemeinde Papenteich. The Municipality Schwülper includes the villages of Groß Schwülper, Hülperode, Klein Schwülper, ...

**Brunswick

Rivers crossed

Hase The Hase is a long river of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Ems, but part of its flow goes to the Else, that is part of the Weser basin. Its source is in the Teutoburg Forest, south-east of Osnabrück, on the north slope ...

, in

Hunte Hunte is a long river in north-western Germany (Lower Saxony), a left tributary of the Weser. The Hunte rises in the Wiehen Hills. In the North German Plain it flows through lake Dümmer. It flows generally northwards through the towns Bad Es ...

, in Diepholz * Wagenfelder Aue, in Barver *

, in Nienburg *

, in Schwarmstedt *

, in Wietze *

Fuhse The Fuhse is a river of Lower Saxony, Germany, a left tributary of the Aller. Spelled Fuse in maps of the 19th century and earlier, the name is thought to derive from the ancient Fosa flumen, after which the Germanic tribe of the Fosi took thei ...

, in Celle shortly before its confluence with the

, in Brunswick north of Watenbüttel

History

Origin

The metalled, man-made road (''

Chaussee ''Chaussee'' is an historic term used in German-speaking countries for early, metalled, rural highways, designed by road engineers, as opposed to the hitherto, traditional, unpaved country roads. The term is no longer used in modern road construct ...

'') between Brunswick and Celle was built from 1804 to 1815 and called Celler Straße. The westernmost section between Lingen, Fürstenau and Bersenbrück was opened to traffic on 1 July 1856. A regular

post coach A mail coach is a stagecoach that is used to deliver mail. In Great Britain, Ireland, and Australia, they were built to a General Post Office-approved design operated by an independent contractor to carry long-distance mail for the Post Office. M ...

ran on this road from that day until the opening of the Rheine–Quakenbrück railway on 1 July 1879. From 1925 the section between Freren and Lingen was served by a

bus line A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

Former routing and names

Between 1934 and 1938 the road was called the ''Reichsstraße'' 214. The B 214 used to run within Brunswick past its present end at Amalienplatz down Celler Straße and the western arm of the Oker and the Radeklint to the city centre. Since the ''Reichsstraße'' times many of the B 214's former routes through villages and towns have been replaced by ring road section, the last (in 2008) being the bypass around

. Since the B 214 now crosses the Weser at Nienburg together with the B 6, there is no longer the risk of it being closed due to flooding.

Replacements

The section between Brunswick and Watenbüttel and the so-called northern ring road in Brunswick around the formerly separate village of Ölper was replaced in the 1980s by the roughly 4 km long A 392 motorway (so-called ''Nordtangente Braunschweig''), which then runs on eastwards to the exit at Hamburger Straße. The very short A 392 even has a motorway intersection, the Ölper Knoten with the A 391.

Cancelled plans

The route from Nienburg as far as the crossing with the B 3 near Celle was originally to have been upgraded to form part of the scrapped A 32 autobahn project.

Tourism

Holiday routes

The

German Timber-Frame Road The German Timber-Frame Road (German: ''Deutsche Fachwerkstraße'') is a German tourist route leading from the river Elbe in the north to the Black Forest and Lake Constance in the south. Numerous cities and towns each with examples of the vernacu ...

runs along the B 214 between Celle and Brunswick.

Places of interest

* Castle and historic old town (''Altstadt'') at Fürstenau * St. Nicholas' Church (''St.Nikolaus-Kirche'' or ''Artländer Dom'') in Ankum *

Wienhausen Abbey Wienhausen Abbey or Convent (german: Kloster Wienhausen) near Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany, is a community of Evangelical Lutheran women, which until the Protestant Reformation, Reformation was a Cistercians, Cistercian Catholic nunnery. The ab ...

* Abbay Franziskanerinnen vom hl. Martyrer Georg

*Megalith-Stones Ankum,

and