Kleinhesel combines historical traces with nearby walks and destinations for day trips. For getting around by bus, route 479 is relevant: it runs from Jheringsfehn to Leer via Neukamperfehn, Kleinhesel and Holtland. The timetable dated August 13, 2026 lists the stops Dorfstr./UnterfĂĽhrung, Osterstr./Dorfstr. and Osterstr./Norderstr. in Kleinhesel. Check the connection before setting off.
History between the moor and the monastery
Kleinhesel was established as a settlement in 1809 in the “Vorwerker Moor” of the Hesel Johanniter outwork. In 1884, 143 hectares of peat moorland were sold to 32 colonists from Kiefeld and Kleinhesel to improve their economic situation. Both milestones are part of the history of the settlement and its surroundings.
Barthe Monastery, located near Kleinhesel, existed from the late 12th century to the early 16th century as a convent of the Premonstratensian nuns. It was the order’s first establishment in East Frisia. At Villa Popken, an archaeological exhibition presents the settlement history of the Geest village of Hesel, from the Stone and Bronze Ages through to the Middle Ages; one focus is the history of Barthe Monastery in the Hesel Forest.
The landscape, too, bears historical traces: the distinctive dune landscape in the Hesel Forest is clear evidence of human intervention in nature.
Walks, forest and special destinations
Near Kleinhesel, the park and woodland at Gut Stikelkamp, with its beech and lime-tree avenues, invite you to enjoy extended walks. There is also a historic sawmill at the estate. A group from the Fehntjer BĂĽrgerverein regularly demonstrates how it operates on Saturdays. Check the demonstration dates before your visit.
The Hesel Forest is the largest continuous woodland in southern East Frisia. It offers opportunities for hiking, jogging, Nordic walking and leisurely strolls. Near Kleinhesel, the “Sieben-Bergen” adventure playground in the woods offers various play stations, slides, a locomotive and a zip line among sand dunes and trees.
Routes in the wider destination of Hesel
In the wider destination of Hesel, around 5 km of forest trails around Gut Stikelkamp invite you to go for a walk. The 97 km Ostfriesland Hiking Trail passes through the Hesel collective municipality along a former narrow-gauge railway line to the North Sea coast. The 173 km German Fehn Route follows a different course: it runs through the Hesel collective municipality and is signposted in both directions for cars and bicycles.
The 41 km Hesel Adventure Route is also a cycling tour. One of its sections includes a river crossing on a “do-it-yourself ferry”; its seasonal service may vary. Check whether the ferry is running on your planned date. The protected hedgerows offer another perspective on the landscape: they extend for several hundred kilometres across the Hesel collective municipality, provide a habitat for many animals and plants, and can be explored on a cycling tour.
The wider destination of Hesel also includes the Hesel swimming pool. Following renovations in 2013/2014 and 2023/2024, it is once again open to the public. The pool measures 16.66 Ă— 8.00 metres and has a movable floor.
Discover more destinations: Siebestock, Neuemoor, Beningafehn.
Go to the overview of the wider destination: Hesel.
