A circular trail through a raised bog with sensory stations, a forest nature trail and cultural and historical landmarks from different eras give Molbergen several themes to explore. When planning your visit, you can choose according to the landscape and trail length; the bathing lake, BĂĽrgerpark and cycling route add further options without setting a fixed itinerary.
Raised Bog, Heathland and Circular Trails
The Dausenmoorpad lies within the Molberger Dose nature reserve, which covers more than 600 hectares, and showcases a raised-bog landscape in its natural setting. The circular trail is three kilometres long and has 15 interactive activity and sensory stations. They explore the development and ecological importance of rare bogs. The route therefore combines a clearly stated, manageable distance with engaging topics related to the bog.
Another route is the Dwergter Sand forest nature and discovery trail. It is approximately 3.5 kilometres long and includes 17 information boards as well as interactive stations. In terms of length, the Dausenmoorpad is shorter, at three kilometres; along the Dwergter Sand trail, information boards complement the interactive features. The two descriptions therefore focus on different aspects: rare bogs and their ecological importance in one case, and information and interactive stations along a longer route in the other.
The Dwergter Sand woodland and heathland area covers around 2,000 hectares in the area around Molbergen and has an extensive network of cycling, hiking and horse-riding trails. Hiking, cycling and horse riding are thus listed as different ways to explore the landscape.
Bathing Lake, Park and Cycling Route
Badesee Dwergte is a natural bathing lake with 6,000 square metres of water and a 4,000-square-metre beach area. Toilets and a beach café are on site. As facilities may change, check their availability before your visit.
BĂĽrgerpark Molbergen is described as a family and leisure park. It combines quiet areas with activity areas for play, sport and socialising. This sets it apart from the circular trails, whose facilities consist mainly of stations and information boards.
For a cycling trip, Molberger Meilen | Ostroute is a circular cycling route in the ThĂĽlsfelder Talsperre recreation area. Check route conditions before setting off.
Cultural History in Molbergen
The Teufelssteine megalithic tomb in Molbergen-BischofsbrĂĽck dates from the Neolithic Funnel Beaker culture and is dated to around 3400 to 2800 BC. St. John the Baptist Church in Molbergen houses a Gothic sandstone altarpiece created around 1460 in a Westphalian workshop. Much of the church furnishings date from the Baroque period. The two periods provide distinct historical reference points for the local cultural heritage sites.
A more recent building is the Alte Dorfschule in Ermke: the single-storey brick building dates from 1907. The bell tower is considered a sign of the connection between the school and the church. Together with the megalithic tomb and the church furnishings, the selection spans the period from prehistoric times to the early 20th century.
Further Highlights in the Cloppenburg Destination
In the wider Cloppenburg destination, the Museumsdorf Cloppenburg – Lower Saxony Open-Air Museum uses around 60 historic buildings to offer insights into the living conditions of the rural population of north-west Germany. The period represented ranges from the late Middle Ages to the 1980s.
The ThĂĽlsfelder Talsperre is also part of the wider Cloppenburg destination. The reservoir, fed by the Soeste, lies within the town of Friesoythe and the municipalities of Garrel and Molbergen, and was built between 1924 and 1927. The reservoir area and its surroundings have been protected as a nature reserve since 1938 and have also been designated an FFH site since 1999.
Discover more destinations: Löningen, Lindern, Garrel, Petersfeld, Saterland, Barßel, Cappeln, Emstek
Back to the main travel overview: Cloppenburg.
