Hatzum: Village Dwelling Mound, Church and Cycling Routes
Accommodation in Hatzum
Hatzum brings together a historic village centre on a dwelling mound, St. Sebastian’s Church and a farmstead with a former moat. Two cycling routes also pass through Hatzum, along with the Melkhus on the International Dollard Route.
Village dwelling mound, church and traces of earlier settlements
The historic village centre is situated on a dwelling mound. St. Sebastian’s Church in Hatzum was built in the 13th century and was originally a cruciform church. The construction date places the building in its historical context, while its original cruciform shape describes its architectural design at the time. The oldest of the old gravestones at the church dates from 1505.
The dwelling mound is also home to a farmstead with a former moat, which has been listed as a protected monument. An archaeological excavation in Hatzum in 1996 concerned an Early Iron Age flat settlement. The dates have different meanings: 1996 is the year of the excavation, while the oldest gravestone dates to 1505. This traces the area’s history from an early settlement phase through the construction of the church in the 13th century to the gravestones.
Cycling: Dollard Route and Kiek an
The Dollard Route passes through Hatzum, where it returns to the dike and continues south towards Jemgum. Route alignments can change, so check the current Dollard Route before setting off.
The interactive “Kiek an” circular cycling route through the municipality of Jemgum includes the section “Hatzum/Nendorp/Oldendorp – Land ‘satt’”. Along the cycling route, you can scan QR codes at information pillars to listen to stories as audio files. The details that distinguish the two routes are different: for the Dollard Route, the description covers its passage through Hatzum, the dike and the direction towards Jemgum; for “Kiek an”, it gives the name of the local section and mentions the audio stories.
The Melkhus on the Dollard Route
A regional development plan published in 2025 described the Melkhus in Hatzum as the only Melkhus on the International Dollard Route at that time. If you plan to visit, please check in advance whether it is currently open to visitors.
In the wider Jemgum destination area
Jemgum has its own historical focus: as early as the 15th century, the main village was an important market town with urban features. Jemgum’s former harbour was established on an old tidal channel that led inland from the Ems; the market square now occupies this site. The Alba House in Jemgum dates from 1576, and the former weigh house from 1589. This market and harbour history belongs to Jemgum and adds a different local context to Hatzum’s village dwelling mound and church.
The Jemgum Milk and Dairy Museum also offers a distinct perspective. Through its exhibits and supplementary oral and written information, it explains the links between milk production, processing and consumption.
Discover more destinations: Critzum, Pogum, Ditzum.
Go to the main travel overview: Jemgum.
