Discover Esterwegen through two distinct focal points: remembrance of Nazi crimes and the moorland habitat.
Memorial and personal reflection
As a European memorial site, Esterwegen Memorial commemorates the violence and crimes committed in the 15 Emsland camps during the Nazi era. Admission is free; check the latest visitor information before travelling.
Several memorial rooms in Esterwegen Monastery offer opportunities for spiritual reflection and engagement with guilt, reconciliation, forgiveness and personal responsibility in the here and now. They thus complement the historical perspective with a space for personal reflection.
Moorland and recreation at Erikasee Lake
MoorInfoPfad is an interactive educational trail in the Melmmoor/Kuhdammoor nature reserve. Its 17 stops provide insights into the moorland habitat. The trail is about 1.1 kilometres long; around two-thirds runs along a wooden boardwalk. Check local trail conditions before your visit.
The Erikasee Lake recreation area features a swimming lake, an adventure playground and an inline skating course. Check whether these facilities are currently open before your visit.
The nature attractions offer different experiences: MoorInfoPfad focuses on the moorland habitat and educating visitors about it, while Erikasee Lake offers the recreational facilities listed above. You can choose based on whether you are more interested in the moorland or the facilities by the lake.
Emsland: landscapes, trails and culture
In the Emsland region, HĂĽmmling Nature Park covers around 580 square kilometres in the northeastern part of Emsland district. Cycling and hiking trails pass historic sites, megalithic tombs and Baroque Clemenswerth Palace, with information boards along the way.
The Crane Trail runs for about 2.5 kilometres into Theikenmeer Nature Reserve. The return journey follows the same route, making the total walking distance about five kilometres. The trail has a viewing platform with panoramic views of Theikenmeer Lake and the moorland landscape of Wehmer Dose, as well as a birdwatching hut on the lakeshore. The Theikenmeer Loop is also one of the trails in the nature park that meets the German Hiking Association’s quality criteria; check its status before planning your trip.
A distinct cycling route in the Emsland region, the Emsland Route is a 395-kilometre circular route through five landscapes: Northern Ems Valley, HĂĽmmling, Bourtanger Moor, Hasetal and Southern Emsland. It is very well signposted, mostly flat, paved and traffic-free. The route connects 19 towns; any of the towns in the Emsland region along the route can serve as a starting or finishing point. This offers different route-planning options. The route is particularly suitable for beginners and families with children.
Clemenswerth Palace also has its own connection to the culture and landscape of the Emsland region: its 42-hectare park includes the Gloriette, the garden house of Elector Clemens August. In Werlte, Kreutzmann’s Mill was restored to its original 1881 condition in the 1990s. At the Haren (Ems) Shipping Museum, Mersmühle Mill is the centrepiece of the mill museum, which also includes a miller’s house, a historic bakehouse and a restored motor mill.
Discover more destinations: Dohren, Lingen, Lehe, HaselĂĽnne, Kluse, Lahn, EmsbĂĽren, Herzlake.
For the main travel overview: Emsland.
