Discover Ostermarsch: Bird Trail, Terps and Marshland

Ostermarsch combines the vastness of the East Frisian coastal marshes with impressive traces of settlement and dike history. Anyone planning a trip that combines nature observation, landscapes and the region’s past will find several very different ways to shape their days here. The large farmsteads, which are often situated on terps, characterize the district just as much as the landscape of the East Frisian coastal marshes.

Along the Bird Trail to Norddeich’s Eastern Harbor

A particularly vivid way to experience the landscape is the “Ostermarsch Bird Trail.” The approximately 7.5 km educational trail includes nine stations and leads from the former village school at Otto-Leege-Platz in Ostermarsch to the observation hut at Norddeich’s Eastern Harbor. Along the route, visitors gain impressions of the original coastal village, the East Frisian coastal marshes and the North Sea coast with its Wadden Sea. If you would like to combine experiencing nature with physical activity, you can make the route a central part of your travel plans.

In the vicinity of Ostermarsch, a bird observation station protected from wind and rain is located at Norddeich’s Eastern Harbor. From there, views extend as far as the island of Norderney. Information boards and a spotting scope provide insights into the birdlife of the Wadden Sea. The station is part of the bird trail and therefore serves as a specific destination for anyone who would like to learn more about the landscape areas and their birds.

Wetland and Marshland

The wetland Petersbörg in the “Altendeich” area is part of the landscape. It lies 300 m north of the Petersbörg farm complex and was designated a protected natural monument in October 1991. The area is of great importance to waterbirds: Various waders from the areas outside the dikes, meadow birds and northern migratory birds use it as a resting, feeding and refuge area. Anyone who values a trip focused on nature observation when choosing a holiday apartment will find an important reason to explore Ostermarsch more closely in these landscape features.

Discover Terps and Dike History

Ostermarsch also preserves three uninhabited medieval farmstead terps. Two visible settlement horizons can be identified on each of them, dating approximately from the 12th to 13th century AD. The layers are separated by an approximately 0.50 m-thick clay deposit.

The dike lines also tell the story of adapting to the sea. The oldest dike line recorded during terrain mapping in this area is the Süderhaus dike line. The first dike ran 1 km south of and parallel to today’s Ostermarscher Landstraße, connecting the old terps of “Sieltog” and “Süderhaus.” With the larger-scale diking of 1576, an almost 10 km-long and ¾ to 1 km-wide polder was created between Lintelermarsch and Hagermarsch; Ostermarsch accounted for approximately one third of its length. The terps had to be raised several times because of the rising sea level.

A Suitable Base for Planning Your Trip

When looking for a holiday apartment in Ostermarsch, your planned daily activities can be a useful starting point when choosing accommodation. For arrival and orientation, it is also important to know that Ostermarsch is connected to local public transport by bus route 413, which runs between Norden/Norddeich and Dornumersiel. You can take this connection into account when planning your excursions.

If you would like to expand your selection of destinations and compare other places, you can also include Norddeich in your travel plans.

To the main travel overview: Norden.