Discover Kleinhesel: Moorland, Forest and History

Kleinhesel combines the history of a moorland settlement with opportunities to enjoy nature and culture in the surrounding area. This offers a range of options for planning your trip: strolls, historical discoveries or longer routes through the region. The settlement was established in 1809 in the “Vorwerker Moor” of the Hesel Johanniter estate. In 1884, 143 hectares of peat bog were sold to 32 colonists from Kiefeld and Kleinhesel to improve their economic situation. Kleinhesel is also part of a wider ecclesiastical community: the Evangelical Lutheran Liudgeri parish of Hesel includes not only the village centre of Hesel but also the districts of Klein-Hesel, Kiefeld and Hasselt.

Forest, dunes and walking paths

The Hesel Forest lies near Kleinhesel and is the largest continuous forest area in southern East Frisia. It offers opportunities for hiking, jogging, Nordic walking and strolls. A striking feature is the extensive dune landscape in the forest, a clear testament to human intervention in nature. It gives the landscape its own history, which you can keep in mind as you explore.

In the wider destination of Hesel, the park at Gut Stikelkamp and a forest with beech and lime tree avenues invite you to enjoy extended walks. In the wider destination of Hesel, around five kilometres of woodland walking trails lead through the area around the estate. A historic sawmill at the estate is another special place to visit: a group from the Fehntjer Bürgerverein demonstrates how it works regularly on Saturdays. Check the dates before visiting. Near Kleinhesel, the “Sieben-Bergen” adventure playground offers play stations, slides, a locomotive and a zip line among sand dunes and trees.

Monastery history and culture in Hesel

Located near Kleinhesel, Barthe Monastery existed from the late 12th to the early 16th century as a convent of the Premonstratensian Order. It was the order’s first house in East Frisia. In the wider destination of Hesel, the Archaeological Exhibition in Villa Popken presents the settlement history of the Geest village of Hesel, from the Stone and Bronze Ages through to the Middle Ages; one of its main themes is the history of Barthe Monastery in the Hesel Forest.

The Ludgeri Church in Hesel also tells a story of change: the medieval church had to be demolished because it was dilapidated, and a new church building was completed in 1742. Its furnishings include a pulpit with corner columns and reliefs of the Evangelists, as well as an altar with a painting of the Last Supper. Both were created in 1653 by Tönnies Mahler of Leer, who was a carpenter, woodcarver and panel painter. In the wider destination of Hesel, Gut Stikelkamp was once an outlying estate of the former Johanniter Monastery of Hasselt. Its residence showcases the high-farming-class domestic culture of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

Routes through the region and practical information

If you are planning longer distances, you can compare different types of routes. The 97-kilometre Ostfriesland hiking trail runs through the Hesel collective municipality along a former narrow-gauge railway line to the North Sea coast. The 173-kilometre Deutsche Fehnroute also passes through the Hesel collective municipality; it is signposted for cars and bicycles in both directions. The 41-kilometre Hesel-Erlebnis-Route is another cycling route. It includes a river crossing on a “do-it-yourself ferry”; its operation may vary seasonally. The Hesel collective municipality is also home to several hundred kilometres of protected hedgerows. They provide habitats for many animals and plants and can be explored by bicycle.

For bus planning, the timetable dated 13 August 2026 lists route 479 from Jheringsfehn to Leer via Neukamperfehn, Kleinhesel and Holtland. For Kleinhesel, the same timetable lists the Dorfstr./Unterführung, Osterstr./Dorfstr. and Osterstr./Norderstr. stops. Check the connections before your trip.

In the wider destination of Hesel, the Hesel swimming pool is once again open to the general public, following renovations in 2013/2014 and 2023/2024. The pool measures 16.66 × 8.00 metres and has a movable floor. When planning your trip, you can choose between nature and cultural experiences around Kleinhesel and other destinations in Hesel.

Discover more destinations: Beningafehn, Siebestock and Neuemoor.

View the main travel overview: Hesel.