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Germany

Lower Saxony

East Frisia

Ihlower Forst Natural Forest – Ihlow Monastery Site loop from Ihlowerfehn

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

Germany

Lower Saxony

East Frisia

Ihlower Forst Natural Forest – Ihlow Monastery Site loop from Ihlowerfehn

Moderate

4.7

(47)

147

hikers

Ihlower Forst Natural Forest – Ihlow Monastery Site loop from Ihlowerfehn

03:12

12.7km

20m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: June 10, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

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495 m

Ihlower Forst Natural Forest

Highlight • Forest

The Ihlow Forest is a mixed forest area covering approximately 350 hectares in the municipality of the same name in East Frisia. Today, it is primarily composed of beech, oak, and other deciduous trees. Conifers are rare here. The forest became particularly well-known through excavations at the former Cistercian monastery. See: de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ihlower_Forst

Translated by Google •

Tip by

9.06 km

Stream in Ihlower Forest

Highlight • River

This looks more like drainage ditches to me.

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10.1 km

Speckmannsweg

Highlight • Forest

A tour through the forest is simply balm for the soul 🙂

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10.2 km

Outdoor Amphitheater

Highlight • Structure

An open-air service is usually held here at Pentecost.

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11.4 km

Monastery Ponds

Highlight • Lake

11.8 km

Ihlow Monastery Site

Highlight • Historical Site

This monastery was built in the 12th century by Cistercian monasteries and they called it "the school of God" (Scola Dei). Its dimensions were huge at the time.

With a length of 68 meters and a width of 35 meters, it was the largest church between Bremen and Groningen. On the site there is also a monastery café, which opened in April.

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12.3 km

Land Art Installation 'Friesian Freedom' by Monika Kühling in Ihlower Forest

Highlight • Monument

In the Footsteps of Frisian Freedom
There, the artist Monika Kühling from Funnix has used ribbons, flags, banners, and cloths to manifest the fundamental law of Frisian Freedom, the so-called "History and Freedom," in the forest. This so-called land art project guides hikers on their way to the monastery site and is intended to symbolize a bridge between the independence of the Frisians and the motto of the Cistercian monks, "ora et labora" (pray and work). Both are inextricably linked to the history of East Frisia and Ihlow. The monastery, located near the "Upstalsboom"—the meeting place of the Free Frisians—served as the chancellery and archive of the all-Frisian "Frisian Freedom" movement. The seal of the monks of Ihlow also became the symbol of the Free Frisians in the Middle Ages.

Translated by Google •

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12.3 km

Land Art Project Friesische Freiheit and Ihlow Monastery Site

Highlight • Monument

A journey into East Frisia's past begins with the entry into the Ihlow Forest.

There, the artist Monika Kühling from Funnix has used ribbons, flags, banners and cloths to manifest the basic law of Frisian freedom, the so-called "history and freedom", in the forest. This so-called land art project guides hikers on their way to the monastery and is intended to symbolize a bridge between the independence of the Frisians and the motto of the Cistercian monks "ora et labora" (pray and work). Both are inextricably linked to the history of East Frisia and Ihlow. The monastery near the "Upstalsboom" - the meeting place of the Free Frisians - formed the chancellery and archive of the all-Frisian movement of "Frisian freedom". The seal of the monks of Ihlow also became the symbol of the Free Frisians in the Middle Ages.

Frisian freedom means:

self-determination, responsibility, collective action, democracy and tolerance. But also: lightness, colorfulness, cosmopolitanism, freedom and space. Monika Kühling's land art project conveys all of this with its personal, artistic associations. And so a fantastic play of wind and flags, tracks and banners, old trees and ancient texts was created. Symbols of liveliness and freedom.

(Text excerpt from: Uda von der Nahmer/Bernhard Buttjer)

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12.7 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

6.14 km

4.17 km

2.37 km

Surfaces

7.91 km

3.35 km

1.30 km

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Wednesday 8 July

20°C

14°C

23 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 17.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

July 18, 2021,Von Parkplatz Klosterstätte durch Ihlower Forst zur Klosterstätte

This was a very nice tour, just as we like it, varied and no asphalt roads.

Showing Translation

April 21, 2025,Ostermontagsrunde kreuz und quer durch den Ihlower Forst

Since we were in the area today, we took advantage of the opportunity to hike, modeled on a tour by @NiNa. It crisscrossed the beautiful Ihlow Forest, stopping for tea at the monastery café. The delicious cakes are highly recommended. Unfortunately, it started to drizzle at that very moment, so we preferred to sit inside. Otherwise, there was no more …

Showing Translation

January 22, 2022,🚶‍♀️ IhlowerForstrunde 🌿🌲⛩🐕🐎

The monastery shop invites you to Easter impressions 🐰🌷😊

Showing Translation

September 29, 2024,🚶🏼‍♀️ Ihlowerwald ☀️🍃🍁⛩️

kloster-ihlow.de/klosterstaette/imagination

January 18, 2026,🚶🏼‍♀️ Raum der Spurensuche 🪾🌲⛩️ Klosterstätte Ihlow

kloster-ihlow.de/klosterstaette/raum-der-spurensuche

November 3, 2022,Ihlower Wald und Klosterstätte/Ostfriesland

A beautiful and partly natural forest that can be explored on various marked circular hiking trails. It is one of the oldest forests in East Friesland. The focus is on the Ihlow monastery site, which offers a beautiful excursion destination with the monastery garden, bakery, the historic forester's house with café and monastery shop. The Cistercian monastery, destroyed in 1529, …

Showing Translation

August 4, 2021,Rund um den Forst beim Kloster Ihlow

A full parking lot at the starting point, so we expected a lot of activity in the forest. But it was quiet because we weren't on the main path but turned onto a narrow path right at the beginning. This rewarded us with a quiet and relaxing hike. The weather played along with the nicest day of the week, of …

Showing Translation

June 22, 2021,IHLOWERFEHN RUNDE 🙋🏼‍♀️🐶

Yesterday we had a cozy round with an extraordinary monastery in IHLOWERFEHN.
A forest with a lot of water and swamps, but something mystical about it.
A monastery as a lattice framework is also something different.
We really liked this round
🙋🏼‍♀️🐶🙋🏻‍♂️

Showing Translation

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Ihlower Forst Natural Forest – Ihlow Monastery Site loop from Ihlowerfehn

Ihlower Forst Natural Forest

Stream in Ihlower Forest

Speckmannsweg

Outdoor Amphitheater

Monastery Ponds

Ihlow Monastery Site

Land Art Installation 'Friesian Freedom' by Monika Kühling in Ihlower Forest

Land Art Project Friesische Freiheit and Ihlow Monastery Site

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