Soltau
Discover Soltau
Soltau is a town on the Lüneburg Heath in North Germany with around 21,000 residents in 2021. It has gained national prominence largely as a result of the attractions such as the Soltau Therme thermal baths and the Heide Park, one of Germany's biggest amusement parks. The large lake of Südsee is also popular with caravanners, campers and day visitors alike. The parish of Soltau was founded around 830 by a few farmers, and the first wooden church was built around this time.
What to Experience in Soltau
Taste of Soltau...
Soltau is in the Luneburg Heide region where the Heideschnucke (moorland sheep) is bred on the moors where they feast on heather and birch tree shoots. It is often found on many of the restaurant menus and has a gamey flavour to it, it is often compared to venison.
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Soltau.
There are a wide variety of shops from clothes, pets, electronics and homeware. Although the town is only small there is something for everyone. Majority of the shops are half-timbered and it is quite enjoyable to sit and watch the world go by in the town square. The shops are open M-F until 18:00, Sa until roughly 17:00 and they are all closed on Sunday. Just on the outskirts of Soltau is an industrial estate where you can find electrical shops, there is also a small shopping centre with a few shops that include furniture, clothes, pets and a food shop. In the centre of Soltau is another small shopping complex with a C&A and shoe shop. Soltau is in the Luneburg Heide region where the Heideschnucke (moorland sheep) is bred on the moors where they feast on heather and birch tree shoots. It is often found on many of the restaurant menus and has a gamey flavour to it, it is often compared to venison.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsTake exit 44 Soltau-Ost on the A7, then merge onto the B209/B71 towards Soltau. Continue along the B209/B71 until you reach Soltau town centre. Soltau is also accessible via two nation highways (B3, B71) and a regional throughway (L 71). All major cities offer bus transfers to Soltau such as Berlin, Bremen, Cuxhaven. The buses leave every M, Tu, W, Th and Sa, prices vary between €22 and €66. Soltau's station, which is still called Soltau (Hannover) (abbreviated to Soltau [Han]) by the Deutsche Bahn belongs to the Hanover Railway Division and lies on the America Line (KBS 116) from Bremen to Uelzen and on the Heath Railway (Heidebahn) (KBS 123) from Buchholz (Nordheide) to Bennemühlen(-Hanover). There are two other stops - Soltau Nord and Wolterdingen - on the Heath Railway. The long distance cycle paths RFW 4 (Leine-Heath Cycle Path) and RFW 15 (Heath Cycle Path or Heide-Radweg) on the Lower Saxon long distance cycle network intersect in Soltau....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Soltau's station, which is still called Soltau (Hannover) (abbreviated to Soltau [Han]) by the Deutsche Bahn belongs to the Hanover Railway Division and lies on the America Line (KBS 116) from Bremen to Uelzen and on the Heath Railway (Heidebahn) (KBS 123) from Buchholz (Nordheide) to Bennemühlen(-Hanover). There are two other stops - Soltau Nord and Wolterdingen - on the Heath Railway. The long distance cycle paths RFW 4 (Leine-Heath Cycle Path) and RFW 15 (Heath Cycle Path or Heide-Radweg) on the Lower Saxon long distance cycle network intersect in Soltau. A cycle path concept has been implemented. The majority of hotels in Soltau offer bike hires. There are taxi companies in town, and there are always taxis outside the railway station willing to pick up fares. Alternatively go to the taxi rank at Drögenheide 4, ☏ +49 5191 14084. There are a number of car parks within Soltau with the majority of them being free.
Money & Budget
There are a wide variety of shops from clothes, pets, electronics and homeware. Although the town is only small there is something for everyone. Majority of the shops are half-timbered and it is quite enjoyable to sit and watch the world go by in the town square. The shops are open M-F until 18:00, Sa until roughly 17:00 and they are all closed on Sunday. Just on the outskirts of Soltau is an industrial estate where you can find electrical shops, there is also a small shopping centre with a few shops that include furniture, clothes, pets and a food shop. In the centre of Soltau is another small shopping complex with a C&A and shoe shop. Soltau is in the Luneburg Heide region where the Heideschnucke (moorland sheep) is bred on the moors where they feast on heather and birch tree shoots.
Safety Information
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Soltau
View of the Heide Park Resort.
The fire awakens! 🔥🌲 Colossos at Heide Park isn’t just Europe’s tallest wooden coaster—it’s guarded by this towering beast, breathing fire as you race beneath it! Epic theming meets raw wooden power.
Wings of Fear. Shadows of Speed. 👁️🗨️🖤🎢 Flug der Dämonen pulls you into a haunted flight through twisted ruins and cursed airspace. Germany’s first Wing Coaster glides with deadly grace — fast, smooth, and terrifyingly close to the edge. 🎢 Ride Facts: • Type: Wing Coaster (Bolliger & Mabillard) • Opened: 2014 • Height: 40 m • Length: 772 m • Top Speed: 100 km/h • Inversions: 5 • Duration: ~1:30 min • Trains: 2 (7 rows per train) • Theme: Cursed Valley / Gothic Horror
Big Loop – a true classic of Heide Park and a Vekoma legend since 1983. With its double loops and corkscrews, this steel icon delivers pure old-school intensity. It may not be the tallest or fastest, but its retro charm and sharp inversions keep it a fan favorite. 🎢 Ride Facts: Type: Steel Coaster (Vekoma MK-1200) Opened: 1983 Height: 30 m Length: 706 m Top Speed: 70 km/h Inversions: 4 (2 Vertical Loops, Double Corkscrew) Duration: \~1:48 min Capacity: \~1,200 riders/hour Trains: 2 trains with 6 cars each Theme Area: Pirate Bay
Colossos — titan of timber and fury. A 60 m wooden behemoth, racing at 110 km/h across a 1,344 m prefabricated track, delivering relentless airtime, 4.5 g forces, and roaring through camelbacks, helixes, and bunny hops. Reborn in 2019, this Intamin masterpiece still rules as Europe’s fastest wooden coaster. Type: Wooden Coaster (Intamin prefabricated track by Ingenieur-Holzbau Cordes) Opened: 2001 (rebuilt 2019) Height: ~53 m Length: 1,344 m Top Speed: 110 km/h Drop Angle: 61° Duration: ~2:25 min Trains: 2 (5 cars × 3 rows × 2 riders) G‑Force: −1.5 to 4.5 g Capacity: ~1,030 riders/hour
Krake — swallowed by the beast. With a heart-stopping 41 m, 87° drop and floorless seats, this Dive Coaster hurls you straight into the jaws of legend—followed by a splashdown that drags you through the Kraken’s domain before blasting you into an Immelmann and airtime hill. The only Dive Coaster in Germany, and still the apex predator of Heide Park. Type: Dive Coaster (Bolliger & Mabillard) Opened: 16 April 2011 Height: 41 m, Drop Angle: 87° Length: 476 m Top Speed: 103 km/h Inversions
Desert Race – the launch that kicks off with pure adrenaline. Heide Park’s Intamin Accelerator hurls you from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.4 seconds, racing low to the ground through tight turns, hills, and airtime pops. A desert-themed blast of speed that leaves no time to breathe. 🎢 Ride Facts: Type: Steel Launch Coaster (Intamin Accelerator) Opened: 2007 Height: 19 m Length: 650 m Top Speed: 100 km/h Launch: Hydraulic, 0–100 km/h in 2.4 s Inversions: 0 Duration: \~0:49 min Trains: 4 trains with 4 cars (2 rows × 2 riders = 16 riders) Capacity: \~1,200 riders/hour Theme Area: Wüstenflitzer
Lueneburg Heath near Timmerloh.
Colossos – battle of the giants at Heide Park. Once the tallest wooden coaster in the world, Colossos delivers massive drops, relentless airtime, and a roaring ride across its colossal structure. Reimagined with fiery theming, this Intamin wooden legend remains one of Europe’s most powerful coaster experiences. 🎢 Ride Facts: Type: Wooden Coaster (Intamin Plug & Play) Opened: 13 May 2001 (reopened 2019 with new theming) Height: 50 m Length: 1,344 m Top Speed: 110 km/h Inversions: 0 Duration: ~2:25 min Trains: 2 trains with 6 cars each (2 riders per row) Theme Area: Bucht der Totenkopfpiraten
Colossos – the mighty wooden titan of Heide Park. 🪵 This classic wooden coaster delivers massive drops, high-speed turns, and relentless airtime. Smooth, powerful, and awe-inspiring, Colossos remains one of Europe’s premier wooden coaster experiences. 🎢 Ride Facts: Type: Wooden Coaster (Schwarzkopf / Intamin) Opened: 24 June 2001 Height: 60 m Length: 1,500 m Top Speed: 110 km/h Inversions: 0 Duration: ~3:00 min Trains: 2 trains, 6 cars each (2 rows × 2 riders) Theme Area: Adventure Land
View of the Heide Park Resort.
The fire awakens! 🔥🌲 Colossos at Heide Park isn’t just Europe’s tallest wooden coaster—it’s guarded by this towering beast, breathing fire as you race beneath it! Epic theming meets raw wooden power.
Wings of Fear. Shadows of Speed. 👁️🗨️🖤🎢 Flug der Dämonen pulls you into a haunted flight through twisted ruins and cursed airspace. Germany’s first Wing Coaster glides with deadly grace — fast, smooth, and terrifyingly close to the edge. 🎢 Ride Facts: • Type: Wing Coaster (Bolliger & Mabillard) • Opened: 2014 • Height: 40 m • Length: 772 m • Top Speed: 100 km/h • Inversions: 5 • Duration: ~1:30 min • Trains: 2 (7 rows per train) • Theme: Cursed Valley / Gothic Horror