Geeste: Reservoir, moorland and places of remembrance

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Geeste, you can start by considering which of these themes you would like to shape your stay. The reservoir offers a clear focus on water, while the trails explore nature-related themes and the museums provide different ways to engage with history. This makes it easy to choose where to stay based on the experiences that matter to you.

Reservoir, moorland and nature observation

The Geeste reservoir covers 180 hectares, and its bathing beach is 850 metres long. An activity trail at the Geeste reservoir focuses on birdlife and the sounds of the forest and lake. Another activity trail in the Dalum-Wietmarschen Moor is dedicated to dragonflies. The two trails therefore have different focuses: one on birds and sounds, the other on dragonflies.

In the municipality of Varloh, the “Drinking Water Adventure Trail” traces the water cycle. Around 35 information panels, illustrative exhibits and learning games at the exhibits complement the theme. Geeste is also part of the Bourtanger Moor–Bargerveen International Nature Park. The connection between water and moorland themes can thus be understood as part of the landscape beyond any individual stop.

Sailing is another interest represented here: the Speichersee Emsland Sailing Club teaches children, young people and adults the basics of sailing in single- and double-handed boats. The program therefore covers different types of boats and age groups. When planning your trip around possible activities, you can weigh up water and nature themes alongside the historical attractions in the area.

Museums and places of remembrance

The Emsland Moor Museum in Groß Hesepe presents past ways of life and work in two modern halls with more than 2,500 square metres of exhibition space. The museum also includes a reconstructed settler farm dating from the 1930s: the “Siedlerhof,” which has been designated an “Arche-Hof.” Old regional livestock breeds are kept there, including Bentheim sheep and Bentheim pigs. A visit to the museum thus combines an exhibition on past ways of life with a tangible look at historic settlement patterns and regional animal breeds.

The accessible “LAGER XII DALUM” memorial site offers a different form of remembrance. The transformer station and guardhouse of the former National Socialist Emsland Camp XII in Dalum have been restored in keeping with their listed status. The exhibition provides information about the camps and war cemeteries in Emsland and the County of Bentheim. Groß Hesepe is also home to the 800-year-old, listed St. Nicholas Church.

In Osterbrock, the 8mm Film Museum displays more than 300 cameras, 50 projectors and numerous editing devices. Together with the moor museum and the place of remembrance, it offers a broad range of cultural themes: historical everyday and working life, the history of the camps, a listed church building and 8mm film technology. These differences help you shape your stay around your own interests rather than reducing Geeste to a single attraction.

The wider setting: Emsland

In the wider travel destination of Emsland, Hümmling Nature Park offers another regional perspective. It covers around 580 square kilometres in the northeast of Emsland district. Cycling and hiking trails pass historical sites, megalithic tombs and Clemenswerth Palace, with information points along the way. These details describe Hümmling in Emsland and complement Geeste’s themes with another landscape and cultural area.

Discover more destinations

Kluse, Lingen (Ems), Lähden, Stavern, Surwold, Lünne, Werlte, Spelle

Go to the broader travel overview: Emsland.