The little municipality of Schwarmstedt lies in Lower Saxony's Soltau-Fallingbostel district, close by the confluence of two rivers, the Leine and the Aller. Made up of three tiny villages, the municipality is home to just over 5,000 people. Founded in 1150 AD, the village was, and still is, centred around its Gothic St Laurentius Church and contains a few pretty, half-timbered buildings dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries and an unusual museum displaying mechanical musical instruments. For most tourists, there's very little to see and do in Schwarmstedt except relax and unwind, although its surroundings are becoming popular with recreational cyclists and Luneburg Heath Nature Park is nearby. Fishing and canoeing are popular in the nature park, and several of the village's large mansions have been converted to Schwarmstedt hotels, which together with a few small guesthouses cater for nature-loving visitors. If the peace and quiet palls, a 50km drive brings you to the historic city of Hannover for shopping, dining and nightlife.

other spellings: schwramstedt hotell, schwarmstadt otel, schwarnstedt hote, schwarmstedthotels