Discover Westeraccum

When planning a trip to Westeraccum, there are several specific themes to consider: the medieval St Peter’s Church with its maritime memorials, cycling tours with different route profiles, and fruit growing and produce from Poppinga’s fruit farm. This allows you to decide whether to focus your stay more on architectural and church history, a cycling tour or regional products.

St Peter’s Church: brick architecture and maritime memorials

The medieval St Peter’s Church is a vaulted brick church on a high mound built by people. It is thought to date from around 1270 to 1280. A model ship hangs from the ceiling inside the church, which also houses numerous intricately designed captains’ gravestones. Some depict ships that the deceased captains themselves sailed. In the past, the church also served as a landmark for seafarers.

St Peter’s Church brings together several different aspects: its architecture and the artificial mound on which it stands, the model ship and the gravestones with their depictions. Anyone interested in maritime history will find concrete connections here to the seafarers commemorated by the gravestones, alongside the medieval building.

Cycling tours with different focuses

Cycle Route 6, “Norden – Dornum and Back,” leads from the park to Westeraccum after crossing the Dornumer Tief, following the Accumer Riege. It then continues along Butenhuser Straße towards Westeraccumersiel. The description therefore specifies a clear sequence of route sections and roads. As road conditions and signposting can change, it is worth checking the current route description before setting out.

The Rape Blossom Route into Spring has a different focus: it is a 43.8-kilometre circular cycling tour that starts and ends in Neßmersiel. Its attractions include the apple orchard and the captains’ graves in Westeraccum. The route crosses flat terrain, is considered easy and is suitable for beginners and leisure cyclists. Spring is the best time of year, especially April and May during the blossom season. While Cycle Route 6 describes a sequence of places and roads, the Rape Blossom Route specifies the circular route’s length and seasonal focus. Check conditions for your chosen travel period before setting out.

Fruit growing and home-produced goods

Poppinga’s fruit farm operates an orchard covering around 17 hectares. It mainly grows apples, as well as pears, plums and cherries. The farm sells freshly harvested fruit, along with jams, apple chips and apple juice made on site. This connects the area not only with the orchard, but also with specific local products. The range may change, so if the available products are important to your plans, it is best to check in advance.

Culture in the wider destination of Dornum

Dornum also offers historic cultural attractions that are distinct from the sights in Westeraccum. Dornum Synagogue is the only surviving synagogue in East Frisia; the building that still stands today was constructed in 1841. The synagogue has been a memorial site since 1992 and houses a permanent exhibition on Jewish life. The association “Synagoge Dornum” operates the memorial site and is responsible for its exhibitions.

Other architectural attractions in the Dornum destination include Dornum Post Mill, the last post mill in East Frisia and a local landmark since 1626. Dornum’s Baroque water castle developed from Norderburg, which stood on the site in the 14th century and belonged to chieftain Hicko Kankena. A gallery runs around the restored Knights’ Hall in the castle. The ceiling is decorated with figurative and ornamental paintings; historic oil paintings on the walls tell the story of the von Closter family and their relatives.

Discover more destinations: Neßmersiel, Dornumersiel, Roggenstede, Nesse, Middelsbur, Dornumergrode.

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Dornum.