Saterland: Hollener See, Moorland and Windmill

For your trip planning in Saterland, there are several themes to choose from: swimming and walking at Hollener See, canoeing on the Sagter Ems, the moorland and local culture. The range of experiences extends from water activities to insights into the history of a windmill and the Sater Frisian language.

Swimming at Hollener See and at the leisure pool

Hollener See covers 9.5 hectares and has a bathing beach. It is a great place for swimming, strolling and hiking. So the lake is not just a place to swim: you can also make a stroll or a hike the focus of your visit. The Saterland leisure pool has a bathing area for toddlers and a 25 × 10 m pool. The pool has a 1-m diving board and a 3-m diving tower. This gives you a clear choice: the lake offers a beach, strolling and hiking, while the leisure pool has an area for toddlers and diving facilities.

Canoeing and moorland

At the paddle-and-pedal station in Strücklingen, you can canoe on the Sagter Ems. The Seelter Foonkieker offers a different perspective on the moorland. The peat-train ride operated by the “Moorkultur Ramsloh” peat works lets visitors discover the moorland and its soft peat soil. During the ride, you will also learn about the formation of raised bogs, peat extraction and renaturation. In the Imkehörne nature reserve, a raised-bog area in Saterland/Strücklingen, a platform with information boards offers views across the moorland. The platform provides a visual highlight, while the peat-train ride also offers background on the development and use of the moor. If you plan to go canoeing or take the peat-train ride, check the current operating arrangements in advance with the paddle-and-pedal station or the “Moorkultur Ramsloh” peat works.

Windmill and Sater Frisian language

The gallery-style Dutch windmill in Scharrel was built in 1870. Visits are possible by arrangement; please agree on a time in advance. “Seelterlound” is the name of Saterland in the Sater Frisian language. Sater Frisian is a dialect of the Frisian language interspersed with Low German elements. For culture enthusiasts, this offers a choice of different topics: the historic mill building and Saterland’s linguistic distinctiveness.

More to explore in the wider Cloppenburg destination

In the wider Cloppenburg destination, the Cloppenburg Museum Village – Lower Saxony Open-Air Museum offers a different historical focus from the windmill in Scharrel. Its around 60 historic buildings provide insights into the living conditions of the rural population of northwestern Germany, from the late Middle Ages through to the 1980s. Also located in the wider Cloppenburg destination is the Thülsfelder Talsperre reservoir. The reservoir, fed by the Soeste, was built between 1924 and 1927. The area and its surroundings have been a nature reserve since 1938 and have also been designated an FFH area since 1999. The Thülsfelder Talsperre adventure trail has 14 interactive stations. Before going for a walk, it is worth checking the local conditions.

Discover more destinations: Barßel, Bösel, Lindern, Löningen, Cloppenburg, Molbergen, Emstek, Garrel

Return to the wider travel overview: Cloppenburg.