Westerlee: Walking Trails, Church and Local History
Accommodation in Westerlee
Westerlee is a linear village that developed in the Middle Ages on a sandy ridge in the so-called Winschoten Peninsula. The De Garst nature area lies north of Westerlee. The history of the Battle of Heiligerlee is also connected with this landscape: in 1568, the battle took place in De Garst and De Hoogte. The Sint Joriskerk, the story bench and the mill provide further points of historical and cultural interest. In Westerlee, therefore, both the landscape and local history are central to a visit.
File:1 Ceresweg, Westerlee, Oldambt mailbox, Westerlee (2020) 01.jpg
Photo: Photo: Donald Trung Quoc Don (Chữ Hán: 徵國單) - Wikimedia Commons - © CC BY-SA 4.0 International . ( Want to use this image? ) Original publication : -- Donald Trung 『徵國單』 ( No Fake News ) ( WikiProject Numismatics ) ( Articles ) 19:42, 17 May 2020 (UTC)
Walking trails through De Garst and Emergobos
The historic Battle of Heiligerlee – De Garst walking route passes through De Garst on the Groningen push moraines and is 5 km long. The Battle of Heiligerlee experience route comprises two walking trails through the De Hoogte (Heiligerlee) and De Garst (Westerlee) nature areas, marked with distinctive route posts. The experience route includes a route booklet and a walking app with additional information. For planning, the route length and layout are two different points of reference: the historic walking route is 5 km long; for the experience route, the two marked trails and the additional information are part of the concept.
A walking trail in the walking junction network runs through Emergobos. It leads between junction 41 (the Engelkeslaan/DH Vinkersweg intersection) and junction 40 (the DH Vinkersweg/Tonkensoordlaan intersection). The named junctions and intersections make it easy to identify this section of the trail. Here, junctions and intersections help you find your way; by contrast, the specific point of comparison for the historic route through De Garst is its 5 km length.
Church, village history and local culture
The organ in the Sint Joriskerk was built and installed by P. van Oeckelen in 1873. The church also contains a carved wooden image of Saint George; above the church door, a sculpture depicts his victory over the dragon. The organ, wooden image and depiction above the door connect a precisely dated work with motifs associated with the church’s patron saint, giving the church a range of art- and cultural-historical points of interest.
Westerlee was first mentioned in 1230 in a monastery chronicle as a parish of the Mons Sinaï convent near Heiligerlee. Opposite Landgoed Westerlee stands a so-called story bench. Its glass mosaic depicts events from local history, imaginatively represented by children. The Westerleese kers (Westerlee cherry) is featured on the story bench and is known in Groningen and the surrounding area for its sour taste and red colouring. Only the base of Westerlee’s mill remains; it was built on the site of the oldest mill. The story bench, the cherry and the mill site thus offer different ways into local history: through stories of village events, local food culture and built heritage.
If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Westerlee, you can also choose your destination based on the kind of outing you have in mind: the historic walking route is 5 km long; the experience route comprises two marked trails, a route booklet and a walking app. The church, story bench and mill site offer other points of interest for those with an interest in cultural history.
Discover more destinations: Reiderland, Winschoten, Blauwestad, Oudezijl, Drieborg, Oostwold Gem Oldambt, Midwolda, Finsterwolde
For the overview of the wider area: Oldambt.
