Editing Vechta (section)

{{Infobox German location
|type               = Stadt
|name              = Vechta
|image_coa            = DEU Vechta COA.svg
|image_photo       = Vechta Zentrum.jpg
|coordinates       = {{coord|52|43|50|N|08|17|19|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan = Vechta in VEC.svg
|state        = Lower Saxony
|district         = Vechta
|elevation              = 37
|area            = 87.88
|postal_code               = 49377
|area_code           = 04441
|licence               = VEC
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 03 4 60 009
|divisions         = 15
|website           = [http://www.vechta.de/ www.vechta.de]
|mayor             = Kristian Kater<ref name=mayor>{{cite web|url=https://www.statistik.niedersachsen.de/download/169156|title=Verzeichnis der direkt gewählten Bürgermeister/-innen und Landräte/Landrätinnen|date=April 2021|publisher=[[Landesamt für Statistik Niedersachsen]]}}</ref>
|leader_term       = 2019&ndash;24
|party             = SPD
}}
'''Vechta''' ({{IPA|de|ˈfɛçta|-|De-Vechta.ogg}}; [[Northern Low Saxon]]: ''Vechte'') is the capital and largest city of the [[Vechta (district)|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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.stoppelmarkt.de/Der-Stoppelmarkt.aspx |title=Stoppelmarkt - das Fest der Feste - der Stoppelmarkt |access-date=2015-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502232926/http://www.stoppelmarkt.de/Der-Stoppelmarkt.aspx |archive-date=2015-05-02 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the recent past, the town was known as a centre of far-northern German [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholicism]].

[[File:Vechta Wassermühle.jpg|thumb|189px|Vechta water mill]]