Status: 05/25/2023 09:12 a.m
The region near Oldenburg attracts with large rhododendron parks that are in full bloom in May and June. Water sports enthusiasts appreciate the Zwischenahner Meer, and the region is also ideal for cycling.
Well-kept parks and beautiful gardens, moor, heathland, forest and meadows: the Ammerland in north-western Lower Saxony, around the Zwischenahner Meer, is diverse. The people of the country’s third-largest inland lake once made a living from peat extraction. Today, horticulture, tourism and the health resort in Bad Zwischenahn are important sources of income.
Center of rhododendron cultivation
Rhododendrons are in full bloom in May and June.
The mild climate and the peat soil offer ideal conditions for growing rhododendrons. Over the decades, dozens of tree nurseries have settled in Ammerland, most of which deal with these plants and some run parks themselves. Westerstede, the only town in the district, is considered the German rhododendron metropolis with its numerous tree nurseries. Some of the rhododendron parks have been family-owned for more than 100 years. When the flowering season begins in late April, many parks are open to visitors.
Lush blooms in the Hobbie and Gristede rhododendron parks
The Hobbie family’s private rhododendron park in Westerstede-Petersfeld is one of the largest and most beautiful in Europe. Among the sometimes exotic coniferous and deciduous trees are a number of varieties from our own and external breeding as well as wild species. The largest specimens are up to twelve meters high. A two-and-a-half kilometer circular trail with a forest trail guides visitors through the facility. If you want to see more, you can roam the 70-hectare site on a ten-kilometer network of paths. Admission is charged during the flowering period.
The Gristede Rhododendron Park is located in the neighboring town of Wiefelsfelde. More than 1,000 azaleas and rhododendrons grow there between Chinese sequoias, rare Japanese maples and dogwood plants such as cornus. Admission is free.
Park of Gardens: 40 themed gardens in one complex
The Park of Gardens shows model gardens with different focal points.
There are also numerous rhododendrons in the 14-hectare Park of Gardens in Bad Zwischenahn. In addition, more than 40 professionally designed themed gardens offer plenty of inspiration for your own property. A two-and-a-half kilometer circular trail leads past a wide variety of native and exotic plants, a large rhododendron park and a collection of trees and shrubs. In 2002 the first Lower Saxony state garden show took place on the site.
In summer, private garden owners in Ammerland also regularly invite visitors open garden days. Visitors can be inspired by the beautiful facilities.
Zwischenahner Meer as a tourist center
The spa park of Bad Zwischenahn borders on the Zwischenahner Meer.
The Zwischenahner Meer forms with the state-approved Moorheilbad Bad Zwischenahn is the tourist center of the region. The oldest open-air museum in Germany is located in the Kurpark, which borders the lake. It was set up around 1910. The complex consists of a small village with 17 thatched houses and outbuildings – from the smithy to the Heuerhaus – and conveys the regional living culture of bygone times. A special gem of the open-air museum Ammerländer Bauernhaus is a working windmill, a two-story gallery Dutchman from 1811.
When strolling through Bad Zwischenahn, the St. John’s Church from 1124 and the 40-metre-high water tower, which offers a panoramic view of the region, are also worth a visit. Despite the gusty winds, the lake is a popular area for sailors and windsurfers. Motor boats are strictly forbidden there – with the exception of the pleasure boats of the “White Fleet”.
By bike on the Ammerland route and Rhododendron route
There are numerous signposted cycle paths in the region.
The flat to slightly hilly landscape is ideal for cycling. On the 164 kilometer long Ammerland route cyclists can get to know the park landscape with its numerous sights. The circuit is marked with green and white direction signs every 500 to 1,000 meters in both directions. With stops at five observation towers – so-called Landscape windows – along the route cyclists can find out about a typical element of the landscape: mills, Geestrand, rhododendrons, hedgerows and water.
Another popular route is the Rhododendron Route. The round tour can start in Bad Zwischenahn, in Wiefelstede or in Westerstede. It leads past the three large and particularly beautiful rhododendron parks Hobbie, Gristede and Park of Gardens. The Ammerland-Touristik website presents other routes.
Many opportunities for active vacation
If you want to enjoy the landscape with other sporting activities, you have numerous options: Many routes of the large network of cycle paths are also suitable for inline skaters. Nordic walking circuits are available for sporty walkers. There are also two golf courses and several riding stables in Ammerland.
Regional specialities
The most popular Ammerland specialties are smoked ham and smoked eel. The fish have been caught in the Zwischenahner Meer for centuries and eaten with the fingers in the traditional way as “Smoortaal”. If you want to strengthen yourself on the way, you can take a break at a “Mölkhus”, a milk rest stop. Farm women sell dairy products in the small wooden houses, sometimes it is also possible to visit the farm.
Map: Parks in Ammerland
Further information
