A 5 km historical hiking route leads through De Garst; in the village, the church, story bench and mill tell of Westerlee’s past. For planning purposes, two main themes can be distinguished: local and cultural history, and hiking trails connected to the Battle of Heiligerlee. You can tailor your stay to focus on historical details in the village, the nature trail or both.

Westerlee: Settlement and History

Westerlee is a linear village that originated in the Middle Ages on a sandy ridge on the so-called Winschoten Peninsula. The village was first mentioned in 1230: a monastery chronicle names Westerlee as a parish of the nunnery of Mons Sinaï near Heiligerlee. The settlement pattern and the chronicle offer different insights into the village’s history. The sandy ridge provides the setting for its medieval origins; the chronicle records the village’s early appearance in written sources.

The mill is also part of Westerlee’s built heritage. Only the base of the present-day mill remains; it was built on the site of the oldest mill. The surviving structure and the site point to two aspects of the mill’s history: what remains today and where Westerlee’s oldest mill stood.

Church and Local Culture

The Sint Joriskerk brings together several specific elements of art and history. Inside is a wooden carving of Saint George. A sculpture above the church door depicts his victory over the dragon. The church’s organ was built and installed by P. van Oeckelen in 1873.

Opposite Landgoed Westerlee stands a story bench. Its glass mosaic depicts events from local history, imaginatively portrayed by children. The Westerleese kers is also featured on the story bench and is known in Groningen and the surrounding area for its sour taste and red colouring. This place thus brings together stories about village history and a regional food tradition.

Hiking in De Garst

The De Garst nature area lies north of Westerlee. The historical Battle of Heiligerlee – De Garst hiking route passes through this area on the Groningen glacial ridges and is 5 km long. In addition, the Battle of Heiligerlee experience route includes two hiking trails through the nature areas of De Hoogte (Heiligerlee) and De Garst (Westerlee), marked with distinctive route posts. The battle took place in these areas in 1568. When choosing a route, note the distinction between the length of the specific trail through De Garst and the two trails that make up the experience route.

The experience route includes a route booklet and a hiking app with additional information. Together with the route posts, they provide further information about the marked trails. When planning, you can therefore take into account both the specific trail length and the historical context of the hiking routes.

Discover more destinations: Blauwestad, Nieuw Scheemda, Drieborg, Reiderland, Oostwold Gem Oldambt, Oudezijl, Finsterwolde, Scheemda.

For an overview of the wider area: Oldambt.