Westeraccum: St. Peter’s Church, Captains’ Graves and Cycling Routes

Seafaring, brick architecture and fruit growing give Westeraccum distinctive themes for a stay. In the medieval St. Peter’s Church, a ship model hangs alongside ornately designed captains’ gravestones; the Rapeseed Route includes an apple orchard and captains’ graves among its sights. Poppinga’s fruit farm adds to this connection with fruit growing, offering freshly harvested fruit and products made on site. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Westeraccum, you can base your choice on different travel interests: culture, cycling or local produce.

St. Peter’s Church: Brick, a Ship Model and Gravestones

St. Peter’s Church is a vaulted brick church that probably dates from between 1270 and 1280. It stands on a high mound built by people. A ship model hangs from the ceiling inside the church, alongside numerous ornately designed captains’ gravestones. Some depict ships that the deceased sailed themselves. The church also served as a landmark for seafarers in the past. The hanging model and the ship depictions on the gravestones show seafaring in two different ways: as an object in its own right and as part of the remembrance of the deceased.

Two Cycling Routes with Different Highlights

On Cycling Tour 6, “Norden – Dornum and Back,” the described route crosses the Dornumer Tief and then leads from the park along the Accumer Riege to Westeraccum. It then continues along Butenhuser Straße towards Westeraccumersiel. Road conditions and signage can change, so check the current route before setting off.

The Spring Rapeseed Route, by contrast, is a 43.8-kilometre circular cycling tour starting and ending in Neßmersiel. Its sights in Westeraccum include the apple orchard and captains’ graves. The route crosses flat terrain, is easy, and is suitable for beginners and recreational cyclists. Spring is considered the best time of year, especially April and May during the flowering season. This provides different details for planning: the Rapeseed Route specifies a set distance, a circular route and a preferred season; Cycling Tour 6 describes the route through Westeraccum and onwards towards Westeraccumersiel.

Fruit Growing and Produce in Westeraccum

Poppinga’s fruit farm cultivates an orchard of around 17 hectares in Westeraccum. The main crop is apples, along with pears, plums and cherries. The farm sells freshly harvested fruit as well as jams, apple chips and apple juice made on site; the range of products may change. The approximate size of the orchard and the various types of fruit mentioned give a concrete impression of fruit growing here. The farm’s products add a distinct focus: its range includes processed products as well as fresh fruit.

Culture in the Dornum Destination

The Dornum Synagogue has been a memorial since 1992. The building, which still stands today, was built in 1841 and is the only surviving synagogue in East Frisia. The “Synagoge Dornum” association operates the memorial and is responsible for the exhibitions; the synagogue houses a permanent exhibition on Jewish life.

The Dornum post mill is the last post mill in East Frisia and has been a local landmark since 1626. The Baroque Dornum water castle developed from the Norderburg, which stood there in the 14th century and was associated with chieftain Hicko Kankena. A gallery runs all the way around the restored knights’ hall in the water castle. The ceiling is decorated with figurative and ornamental paintings; historic oil paintings on the walls tell the story of the von Closter family and their relatives. The memorial, mill and water castle thus represent different aspects of Dornum’s cultural history.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Dornumersiel, Dornumergrode, Nesse, Middelsbur, Roggenstede, Neßmersiel.

Return to the main travel guide: Dornum.