Esterwegen: Memorial, MoorInfoPfad and Erikasee

Esterwegen offers a range of reasons to visit: the Esterwegen Memorial, a European memorial site, commemorates the violence and crimes committed in the 15 Emsland camps during the Nazi era; the MoorInfoPfad provides insights into the moorland habitat. The Erikasee adds recreational activities. If you are looking for a hotel for a trip to Esterwegen, these themes can help you decide what you would like to focus on.

Esterwegen Memorial

The Esterwegen Memorial is a European memorial site that commemorates the violence and crimes committed in the 15 Emsland camps during the Nazi era. Admission is free. Before you travel, check the visitor information for possible operational changes. Several memorial rooms at Esterwegen Monastery provide an opportunity for spiritual reflection and for engaging with guilt, reconciliation, forgiveness and personal responsibility in the here and now.

MoorInfoPfad in Melmmoor/Kuhdammoor

The MoorInfoPfad is located in the Melmmoor/Kuhdammoor nature reserve. This interactive educational trail has 17 stations and provides insights into the moorland habitat. It is about 1.1 kilometres long, with roughly two-thirds of the route running along a wooden boardwalk. The trail offers a nature-focused alternative to the memorial’s different thematic focus. The information about its length and route gives you a clear idea of what to expect.

Recreation at Erikasee

The Erikasee local recreation area has a swimming lake, an adventure playground and an inline skating course. These facilities offer a different focus from the memorial and educational trail. Before your visit, check whether they are currently open.

Emsland: a wider travel horizon

The Hümmling Nature Park, part of the wider Emsland travel destination, covers around 580 square kilometres in the north-east of the district of Emsland. Cycling and hiking trails, with information stations along the way, pass historic sites, megalithic tombs and the Baroque palace of Clemenswerth. The palace park at Clemenswerth covers 42 hectares and includes the Gloriette, the garden pavilion of Elector Clemens August.

For hiking, the Kranichpfad offers a clear sense of distance: it runs for about 2.5 kilometres into the Theikenmeer nature reserve. You return along the same route, making the total walking distance about 5 kilometres. The trail has an observation platform with panoramic views of Lake Theikenmeer and the moorland of Wehmer Dose, as well as an observation hut on the lakeshore.

The Emsland Route covers a much greater distance: this 395-kilometre circular route passes through five landscapes—Nördliches Emstal, Hümmling, Bourtanger Moor, Hasetal and Südliches Emsland. It connects 19 towns; any town in Emsland along the route can serve as a starting point and destination. The route is mostly flat, paved, traffic-free and very well signposted, making it particularly suitable for beginners and families with children. The regional routes therefore vary considerably in length, from the Kranichpfad’s roughly five-kilometre there-and-back walk to the extensive circuit through Emsland.

Discover more destinations: Rastdorf, Sögel, Niederlangen, Dohren, Geeste, Dersum, Spelle, Meppen.

Go to the wider travel overview: Emsland.