Esterwegen between memorial site, moor and Erikasee

Esterwegen offers a wide variety of things to explore during a stay: the memorial site commemorates the crimes of National Socialism, the MoorInfoPfad explores the moor habitat, and leisure activities take centre stage at Erikasee. Which of these aspects interests you most can also shape your choice of holiday apartment and the focus of your trip.

Memorial site and places for reflection

The Esterwegen Memorial is a European site of remembrance. It commemorates the violence and crimes committed in the 15 Emsland camps during the National Socialist era. Admission is free. When planning your visit, it is worth checking the latest visitor information before you arrive.

Several spaces for reflection in Esterwegen Monastery offer opportunities for spiritual contemplation and for engaging with guilt, reconciliation, forgiveness and personal responsibility in the here and now. The themes therefore extend beyond looking back at history and also turn attention to questions that visitors can carry with them into the present.

Esterwegen’s spiritual life also includes the Franciscan Monastery of Esterwegen. It was founded in 2007 and serves as a small spiritual centre.

Explore the moor and spend time at Erikasee

The MoorInfoPfad is an interactive educational trail in the Melmmoor/Kuhdammoor nature reserve. Its 17 stations offer insights into the moor habitat. The trail is about 1.1 kilometres long, with around two-thirds of the route on a wooden boardwalk. The stations and boardwalk offer different points of interest: learn about the moor as you move through the landscape.

The Erikasee recreational area has a swimming lake, an adventure playground and an inline skating course. It offers a range of leisure activities: spending time by the water, playing and inline skating. If you plan your day around one of these activities, check the latest information on site about their use.

Afterwards, you can search more specifically for a location that suits your planned activities.

The wider Emsland destination

Beyond Esterwegen, the wider Emsland destination offers a broader landscape and cultural setting. Hümmling Nature Park covers around 580 square kilometres in the north-east of the Emsland district. Cycling and hiking trails, with information stations along the way, pass historic sites, megalithic tombs and the Baroque Clemenswerth Palace. The palace gardens cover 42 hectares and include the Gloriette, the garden pavilion of Elector Clemens August.

For a specific hiking plan, the Kranichpfad offers a clearly defined route: the trail runs for about 2.5 kilometres into Theikenmeer Nature Reserve. The return journey follows the same route, bringing the total walking distance to approximately 5 kilometres. An observation platform offers panoramic views of Theikenmeer Lake and the moorland of Wehmer Dose. There is also an observation hut on the lakeshore.

For a longer circular tour, the Emsland Route covers 395 kilometres across five landscapes: Northern Ems Valley, Hümmling, Bourtanger Moor, Hasetal and Southern Emsland. It connects 19 towns; any of the towns in Emsland along the route can serve as a starting or finishing point. The route is very well signposted, mostly flat, paved and traffic-free, and is particularly suitable for beginners and families with children. Emsland therefore offers a choice between a single hiking route and an extensive circular tour, each with different requirements for holiday planning.

Discover more destinations: Niederlangen, Emsbüren, Renkenberge, Papenburg, Lünne, Holthausen, Holte, Düthe.

Back to the wider travel overview: Emsland.