Discover Westoverledingen
Accommodation in Westoverledingen
Westoverledingen brings together mill culture, water management history and swimming opportunities for a holiday with a variety of highlights. The range extends from the Mitling-Mark mill complex and the “Grandma’s Kitchen” collection to a 23-kilometre themed route and natural swimming lakes. Information boards about hedgerows and a former narrow-gauge railway line add another distinctive touch. Which of these themes matters most to you can help guide your choice of holiday apartment.
Mitling-Mark mill complex: mill history and the art of baking bread
The gallery Dutch mill at the Mitling-Mark mill complex was rebuilt in 1843 after a lightning strike caused a fire in 1842. Its rustic interior has been preserved true to the original. The “Grandma’s Kitchen” collection, with around 800 exhibits all decorated with the Delft mill pattern, is housed in the miller’s house next to the complex. At the bakehouse, visitors are introduced to the art of baking bread. This brings the mill, collection and bread-baking theme together in one place.
Water management history, swimming lakes and play areas
The 23-kilometre “Road of Water Management Structures” in Westoverledingen can be explored by bicycle, on foot or by car. It conveys the history of how people have dealt with the forces of nature. At the natural swimming lakes in Völlen, Steenfelde and Grotegaste, visitors can swim and play in the water or sand; playgrounds by the lakes offer additional activities. Swimming is seasonal, and water quality is checked regularly.
The “Am Emsdeich” recreation park has an accessible, multi-generational playground right beside a large natural swimming lake with a sandy beach and sunbathing lawns. The activities offer different options for planning your day: the themed route combines a longer distance with a choice of three ways to get around, while the lakes offer seasonal time by the water. This lets you decide whether to focus more on a themed excursion or on swimming and play opportunities.
Hedgerows and a former narrow-gauge railway line
In Ihren, information boards describe hedgerows and the “Sternwallhecke” along the former “Ihrhove-Westrhauderfehn” narrow-gauge railway line. For travellers interested in the landscape and former transport routes as well as mills and water, these signs provide another specific point of interest.
When looking for a holiday apartment, the balance you want between culture, themed excursions and seasonal swimming can be the deciding factor.
More cultural attractions in the wider destination of Leer
The wider destination of Leer offers other distinct cultural attractions. The Former Jewish School in Leer is a memorial and meeting place run by the district of Leer. Evenburg Castle in Leer is a cultural monument of regional importance, comprising the castle, park and outer bailey. Since May 2014, the castle has been open with a permanent exhibition on the life and livelihoods of an aristocratic family in the 19th century, and also serves as a centre for garden culture.
Public city tours in Leer last 1.5 hours and include sights such as the old town hall, the historic weigh house and Haus Samson. The Amsterdam-style gabled house Haus Samson has adorned Leer’s old town since 1643. For weighing up your interests, the wider destination of Leer offers its own urban cultural highlight alongside Westoverledingen’s themes of mills, water management and nature.
Discover more destinations: Hesel, Bingum, Neukamperfehn, Filsum, Detern, Firrel, Weener, Jemgum.
To the overview of the wider destination: Leer.
