Friesland
Accommodation in Friesland
Friesland can be explored by bike, between marshland and moor, or through its cultural history. The Tour de Fries is a circular route of around 280 kilometres through characteristic landscapes; the region is also home to destinations such as Jever Castle Museum, Neuenburger Urwald Nature Reserve and the Wangermeer in Hohenkirchen. When looking for a holiday apartment, first consider which of these discoveries you would like to shape your trip. This will help you choose a location to suit your excursion plans without trying to fit all your interests into a single day’s itinerary.
Cycling routes through varied landscapes
The Tour de Fries takes you through the Wadden Sea, green marshes, quiet moors and lively harbour towns. At around 280 kilometres, it is a longer circular route, with stages ranging from 35 to 55 kilometres. The route has very few climbs and follows low-traffic paths. These details give you a concrete framework if cycling is to play an important part in your holiday. When choosing accommodation, you can consider where you would like to start your excursions and how you want to spend your days.
Another option is the North Sea Cycle Route: its section through Friesland runs from Harlesiel to Varel, linking the Frisian hinterland, maritime harbour towns and the vast expanse of the Wadden Sea. The route is described as flat and well signposted. The Tour de Fries and the coastal cycle route thus offer different ways to explore Friesland by bike: one is a circular route with specified stage lengths, the other a coastal section between two named towns. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, you can use these routes as a guide when planning your own cycling trips.
Woodland and water as further excursion themes
At the heart of the 660-hectare Neuenburger Holz landscape conservation area lies the 48.5-hectare Neuenburger Urwald nature reserve. It is located in the middle of the Friesische Wehde and is surrounded by the villages of Neuenburg, Zetel and Bockhorn. The ancient forest offers a different perspective on Friesland from the wide-open landscapes along the cycling routes. If nature experiences are your priority, you can take this area into account when choosing where to stay.
Water sports, cycling and hiking tours are available at the Wangermeer in Hohenkirchen. Alongside cycling, activities on the water and on foot can therefore also be part of your holiday. When searching for accommodation, decide whether you would prefer to focus on these activities, the landscape or cultural destinations. This makes it easier to choose a suitable location without limiting yourself to just one type of excursion.
Museums, a castle and brewing history
Jever Castle dates back to the Middle Ages; today, the building houses a museum with a historic collection steeped in tradition. The permanent exhibition provides an overview of the history of the Lordship of Jever, as well as regional and state history. The castle and its surrounding landscape park are among the important cultural monuments in north-western Germany. Jever is a specific place to look for accommodation if you want to explore history and culture during your trip. The castle museum’s programme also includes changing special exhibitions, events and cultural activities.
Dangast also offers special insights: the Franz Radziwill House in this artists’ village is one of the few painters’ houses in the world to have been preserved in its original condition. The Dangast National Park House is located in the old village school at the entrance to the village. Regular public guided tours are available; group and school visits take place year-round by individual appointment. This makes it possible to include art history and a visit to the National Park House as separate interests in your holiday plans.
At the North-West German School Museum in Bohlenbergerfeld, the main attraction is an authentically reconstructed classroom from 1910. Visitors can experiment for themselves with the equipment and multimedia stations. In Varel, the local history museum’s exhibition on the town’s history presents artefacts from the last 300 years of Varel’s history; it is housed at Neumarktplatz 5. The museums each focus on different subjects, giving you concrete ideas for choosing excursions by theme.
In Jever, you can also plan a two-hour tour of the Friesisches Brauhaus zu Jever brewery. This includes a historic brewery museum, the modern brewing facility and a beer tasting. The tour shows how beer is made, from the brewhouse to bottling; up to 60,000 bottles of Jever are filled there every hour. When choosing where to stay, you can also consider whether you would like to include regional brewing history alongside the landscape and museums.
For more options when choosing a location, see: Sande, Wangerland, Bockhorn, Zetel, Varel, Jever, Schortens, Wangerland, Bockhornerfeld, Grabstede, Minsen, Oldorf, Hohenkirchen and Friederikensiel.
For the broader travel overview: Lower Saxony.
