Westerholt: Church, Cycling Routes and Wind Farm

When looking for a hotel in Westerholt, you can plan your trip around specific interests: the local church combines medieval architectural history with organ building, while the cycling network, circular hiking trail and wind farm offer different focal points. Finding your way around town is also straightforward: State Roads 6 and 7 meet at the roundabout; Road 6 runs east–west, while Road 7 runs north–south.

Church History and Organ Building

Remains of medieval paintings have been preserved on the south wall of Westerholt Church. The pulpit is also noteworthy: it is one of the oldest wooden pulpits in East Frisia. For a time, the church was fortified and surrounded by a rampart and moat. As a fortified church, it protected the western border of the area ruled by the Harlingerland chieftains. The paintings, pulpit and defensive function offer different ways to explore the building’s history.

Westerholt Peace Church also has an organ with a building and restoration history that is easy to follow. The Esens organ builder Arnold Rohlfs built it between 1840 and 1842. The instrument has one manual, an attached pedal and eight stops; it has largely been preserved. Martin Haspelmath restored the organ in 1988/89. This makes it easy to distinguish the original construction period from the later restoration if you are interested in historic organs and their technical development.

Another historical connection leads to the associated municipality of Terheide. There, Jacob Behrend Braams from Nenndorf found an earthenware vessel containing two gold capsules beside Auricher Straße on January 15, 1872. The two gold bowls from Terheide near Westerholt are interpreted as Bronze Age drinking vessels; they may have been used in sacrificial rituals.

Cycling, the Circular Trail and the Wind Farm

Westerholt has a well-developed cycling network. Another way to tour the area is the approximately 48-kilometer Holtriem hiking trail, which links existing farm roads to form a circular route through the scenic areas of Holtriem. The trail is well signposted. Families with children can explore it in sections suited to their abilities. This gives you different kinds of information for planning: the cycling network provides guidance for cycling, while the hiking trail has an approximate total length and a circular route. Being able to choose individual sections is especially helpful if you want to adapt the hike to your children’s abilities.

The Norderland wind farm is located in the marshland of the municipalities of Nenndorf, Westerholt and Schweindorf. Its 35 wind turbines, with a total capacity of 52.5 megawatts, began operating in mid-1998. One turbine intended for visitors has an internal spiral staircase and a glazed observation rotunda below the machinery house. At 68 meters high, the rotunda offers views of the East Frisian Islands and the East Frisian Peninsula in good weather. Weather conditions are therefore something to take into account when planning a visit to this viewpoint.

More Places to Explore in the Broader Wittmund Destination

The broader Wittmund destination also offers its own landscapes and historical sites. Wittmund Forest covers more than 700 hectares and has several hiking trails and paths for woodland walks and cycling tours. It contains a circular forest bog known as a glacial Pingo ruin, along with a viewing platform and bench.

Wittmund Castle Park offers a different setting. The site of Wittmund Castle, built in 1461, lies within its well-preserved ramparts. The park has small winding paths, bodies of water and benches; in summer, it is used for music events, among other things. These regional attractions differ from Westerholt’s focus on its church, cycling network and wind farm, and offer further ideas if you are planning your trip around the broader Wittmund destination.

Discover more destinations: Willmsfeld, Friedeburg, Ochtersum, Wittmund, Werdum, Eversmeer, Harlesiel, Utarp.

Back to the broader travel overview: Wittmund.