Discover Grabstede

Grabstede combines a landscape on the edge of a protected moor with a long tradition of brickmaking and routes through several named places. These different highlights can help you choose a holiday apartment: would you like to focus on a guided moorland walk, a glimpse into the history of brickmaking, or tours with various stops? Grabstede offers more than a single excursion destination.

Moorland scenery and the history of brickmaking

Grabstede borders directly on a nature reserve of moorland, which you can explore on foot with knowledgeable nature guides. This is a clearly defined natural highlight for anyone who prefers to experience a landscape on foot and with a guide. This focus is easy to distinguish in your day’s plans from the cycling routes, whose described itineraries connect Grabstede with other places or a notable stop.

The Old Brickworks Centre is a dedicated historical attraction. Its grounds feature a permanent historical exhibition. The centre is associated with a brickworks site where bricks have been fired since 1854; historical photographs have also been exhibited there. In Grabstede, then, landscapes and industrial history stand side by side as distinct themes: a guided walk by the moor and an insight into the brickmaking tradition.

Cycling routes with different stops

The “Around the Urwald” route passes through Bockhorn, Grabstede, Neuenburg and Zetel. Its longest section runs through the moor, away from busy roads. If you pay attention to the route and the places it names when choosing a tour, you’ll find one that links several place names with a longer stretch through the moor.

The “Friesische Wehde” cycling route passes through Grabstede, Seghorn and Jeringhave before returning to Dangast. It also runs via Astederfeld in the direction of Grabstede. Along the way stands the “Dicke Buche” (“Big Beech”), around 300 years old and an inviting place to linger. This striking tree is a different point of reference for the tour than the sequence of places on the “Around the Urwald” route.

Another option is the “Fahren nach Zahlen: Tour nach Neuenburg und Zetel” route. It passes the idyllically situated Grabstede monastery farm. You can distinguish the three routes by the features named for each: “Around the Urwald” by its four places and long stretch through the moor, the “Friesische Wehde” by its sequence of places and the Dicke Buche, and “Fahren nach Zahlen” by the monastery farm. This lets you choose a focus for your holiday days without confusing the tours.

Grabstede and a broader look at Bockhorn

The wider travel destination of Bockhorn offers additional historical themes. St. Cosmas and Damian’s Church in Bockhorn is a typical Frisian church. Built around 1200 from erratic boulders, it stands on an artificially raised dwelling mound. Its organ history also goes back a long way: in 1720, the congregation commissioned organ builder Christian Vater, a pupil of Arp Schnittger from the Wesermarsch region, to build an organ for Bockhorn church.

Bockhorn’s market square is also home to the Hemkensche Kaufmannshaus, also known as Haus Jürgens. It dates from the mid-18th century, and its south side has a door from 1754. These examples from Bockhorn broaden the picture of the region, while the moor, the brickworks centre and the routes described here are Grabstede’s specific local highlights.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Hohenkirchen, Varel, Wangerland, Friederikensiel, Bockhorn, Minsen, Bockhornerfeld, Jever.

Back to the main travel overview: Friesland.