Discover Ihlow: Cultural Sites and Routes

Ihlow offers a range of cultural and historical themes for a stay: the monastery site, a historic Fehn house, a medieval church and the story of a changing landscape. There are also various starting points for planning your activities: the pilgrimage trail is a designated route starting at the monastery site; the cycling network covers more than 220 kilometres.

Ihlow Monastery Site and the Former Abbey

The Ihlow Monastery Site is open to visitors free of charge year-round. Check the operational details before your trip. On site, you can see a partial reconstruction of the former Cistercian abbey “Schola DeI”. Archaeological excavation finds are displayed in the underground “Room of Tracing the Past”. The exhibition space also serves as a place for spirituality. This means that archaeological finds and spiritual use exist side by side at the monastery site. If you are interested in the history of the former abbey, the partial reconstruction provides a tangible starting point; the underground room complements this perspective with the finds displayed there.

Fehn House and Church: Different Historical Perspectives

The Grootsche Huus in Ihlowerfehn is an original Fehn house dating from the 18th century. In its historic rooms, you can learn about old East Frisian crafts and see the preserved traditional furnishings of the brick building. A visit thus combines insights into regional crafts with the preserved interior of a historic house.

You can encounter a different kind of cultural heritage in Bangstede: its church dates from the 13th century. The partially preserved body of the suffering Jesus on the cross still hangs inside. This carved work is considered one of the most significant carvings in medieval East Frisia. While the Grootsche Huus focuses on historic domestic culture and craftsmanship, the distinctive feature in Bangstede is the medieval church and its carving.

Pilgrimage Trail and Cycling Network

The “Schola Dei” pilgrimage trail starts at the Ihlow Monastery Site and leads to St Ludger's Church in Norden. It is 40 kilometres long in total and includes 16 stations. These details provide a clear framework for planning a pilgrimage route: the starting point, destination, total distance and number of stations are all specified.

The cycling network offers a different scale for exploring the area. It covers more than 220 kilometres, with green-and-white signposts guiding you through Ihlow and beyond the municipal boundaries. The pilgrimage trail is therefore a single route with a set destination, while the cycling network extends beyond Ihlow, as indicated by its signage. Check the local signs before setting out on your bike.

Local Landscape History in Riepe

The Riepe Silt Museum explains how the siltation project undertaken by the Emden-Riepe Water and Soil Association from 1954 to 1994 changed the landscape of Riepe and Riepsterhammrich. The focus here is neither the history of the abbey nor a single historic building, but a project and its impact on the landscape. Visits are by prior arrangement.

Regional Outlook: Aurich

In the wider destination of Aurich, the Fehntjer Tief Nature Conservation Centre is an extracurricular learning centre for environmental education, as well as a place for meeting and public outreach. The centre works to preserve the natural and cultural landscape of Fehntjer Tief. In spring and summer, students and visitors can experience the local plant and bird life during explorations on foot or by bicycle through the wet meadows. This seasonal focus combines the landscape and nature observation with the types of exploration offered there.

Another feature of the nature conservation centre is its listed Gulfhaus. The building is a typical East Frisian farmhouse dating from 1843. In the wider destination of Aurich, environmental education, the preservation of a natural and cultural landscape, and a historic farmhouse come together as distinct regional themes.

Discover more destinations: Ostersander, Neu Barstede, Tannenhausen, Norden, Leezdorf, Aurich, Großheide, Marienhafe.

Return to the main travel overview: Aurich.