Neukamperfehn: Fehn Landscape and Cycling Tours

Neukamperfehn lies in a former bog area in central East Frisia. If you are looking for a hotel here, you can plan your stay around three interests: cycling, hiking and the history of the Fehn settlements. The routes vary in scale and mode of transport: one leads through Neukamperfehn and Stiekelkamperfehn, while another is designated as a 97-kilometre hiking trail through the Hesel collective municipality. Locks, canals and local history also provide concrete points of reference for your planning.

Cycling and breaks by the Fehn Canal

In Neukamperfehn, there is a rest area with seating right by the lock on the Hauptfehn Canal. This gives you a specific place to take a break that you can factor into your plans. The Kleine Hesel Tour passes through Neukamperfehn and Stiekelkamperfehn, making it a clearly defined route through both places.

The Hesel collective municipality also lies directly on the German Fehn Route. Its length is given as 173 kilometres, and it is signposted in both directions for car and bicycle traffic. As the stated distance may change, it is best to check the latest route information before planning. The Kleine Hesel Tour and the German Fehn Route offer different points of reference: the former names the places it passes through, while the latter gives the length of the regional route and its signposting.

Hiking and hedgerows

The 97-kilometre East Frisia Hiking Trail passes directly through the Hesel collective municipality. The trail’s landscape includes Fehn canals with white lifting bridges. For planning your time, the total route length is a different measure from the section you might use during your stay.

You can also explore the hedgerow landscape in the Hesel collective municipality by bicycle. Several hundred kilometres of hedgerows stretch across the municipality. This lets you choose between different focuses: the hiking trail offers a pedestrian perspective on canals and lifting bridges, while the hedgerows provide a distinct theme for cycling tours. The information about the routes and landscapes describes different options; it does not imply that they share a route.

Fehn settlements and local history

Stiekelkamperfehn is a Fehn settlement that is 350 years old. St. Nikolai Church and the community centre form the heart of the village. Those interested in the history of the Fehn settlements will find a clearly identified focal point here.

Neuefehn also offers historical points of interest: Albert and Cord Jobus founded the village in 1660. In 1880/81, shipping and crafts shaped Neuefehn’s economy. These two details shed light on different periods—the founding and a later snapshot of the economic structure at the time. The village’s history therefore cannot be reduced to a single date.

Leer as a wider travel destination

If you also include the wider travel destination of Leer in your plans, you can add urban history and further travel options. Leer can be reached by car via the A 28 from Bremen and Hamburg, the A 31 from the Ruhr area and the Dutch A 7 from the Netherlands. By train, Leer can be reached both from Oldenburg and Bremen and from the Ruhr area.

Public guided tours of Leer last 1.5 hours and include, among other places, the Old Town Hall, the historic weigh house and Haus Samson. Haus Samson, an Amsterdam-style gabled house, has adorned Leer’s old town since 1643. The tour’s duration is a helpful planning detail if you have a clearly limited amount of time; the named stops also offer a glimpse into different aspects of the city’s history.

Evenburg Castle in Leer is a cultural monument of regional significance and comprises the castle, park and outer bailey. Since May 2014, it has been open with a permanent exhibition on the life and economy of an aristocratic family in the 19th century, and it is also a centre for garden culture. In Leer, the city tour and castle grounds therefore offer distinct thematic highlights alongside the Fehn landscape and the routes described for Neukamperfehn and the Hesel collective municipality.

Discover more destinations: Jemgum, Detern, Brinkum, Uplengen, Weener, Rhauderfehn, Westoverledingen, Bunde.

View the wider travel guide: Leer.