Vechta

Vechta
Town
Coat of arms
Location of Vechta within Vechta district
Location of Vechta
Vechta Location within Germany Vechta Location within Lower Saxony
Coordinates: 52°43′50″N 08°17′19″E
Country	Germany
State	Lower Saxony
District	Vechta
Subdivisions	15
Government
• Mayor (2019–24)	Kristian Kater (SPD)
Area
• Total	87.88 km2 (33.93 sq mi)
Elevation	37 m (121 ft)
Population  (2024-12-31)
• Total	33,728
• Density	383.8/km2 (994.0/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	49377
Dialling codes	04441
Vehicle registration	VEC
Website	www.vechta.de

Vechta (German pronunciation: [ˈfɛçta] ^ⓘ; Northern Low Saxon: Vechte) is the capital and largest city of the Vechta district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is home to the University of Vechta.

It is known for the 'Stoppelmarkt' fair, which takes place every summer and has a history dating back to 1298. With an attendance of 800,000 visitors it is one of the biggest annual fairs in north-western Germany.

In the recent past, the town was known as a centre of far-northern German Catholicism.

Vechta water mill