As of: March 6, 2024, 7:13 a.m
By: Fabian Raddatz
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As the second largest federal state after Bavaria, Lower Saxony has a lot to offer.
Mountains in the southeast (Harz), the sea in the north.
And also one of the lowest points in Germany.
Empty - Lower Saxony, that means horses, VW and wide meadows.
But Germany's second largest federal state is also full of surprises.
Or did you know that one of the lowest points in Germany is in Lower Saxony?
Or perhaps the longest flea market in Germany?
The Wynhamster Kolk wind and water mill in the town of Dollart was built in 1804.
© ConnyPokorny/imago
971.2 meters.
This is how high the Wurmberg is in the Harz Mountains, the highest natural elevation in Lower Saxony.
But the further you move towards the coast, the flatter it becomes.
It's hardly surprising that it can be found in East Frisia: the lowest point in Lower Saxony.
2.5 meters below zero: This is the lowest point in Lower Saxony
The Wynhamster Kolk is located in the small town of Dollart (1258 inhabitants) near Leer.
“Kolk”, Low German for “pond” or “lake”, describes the 72 hectare site, which, with a depth of 2.5 meters below zero, is one of the deepest natural points in Germany.
The town of Neuendorf near Wilster in Schleswig-Holstein takes first place among the lowest points in Germany at -3.54 meters.
But “scour” can no longer be seen in Dollart.
What you can see is a huge meadow that stretches to the horizon.
Herds of cattle graze here on the lush greenery in summer.
But if you compare the land to the left and right of the road from Ditzumerverlaat to Dyksterhusen, you can see a clear difference in height.
The Wynhamster Kolk has a turbulent past
The history of the name Wynhamster Kolk is an old one: in 1715 a storm surge hit the region.
The masses of water broke through a dike, flooded the extensive pastureland and swept it away.
And the water didn't disappear.
For a long time, the largest “kolk” in the Rheiderland, a region in Germany and the Netherlands between the Ems and Dollart, was located at this point.
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That changed in 1804 with the construction of a drainage mill.
The wind-driven blades based on the Dutch model drove a suction screw via a gear design.
Up to 80 liters of water per second could be increased in this way.
Little by little, the scour was drained and the water was pumped into a higher canal.
160 hectares of pasture land were brought back.
Today, electric pumps do the job.
Today the lowest point in Lower Saxony is a popular excursion destination
Today the area is popular with cyclists and the mill has become a stopover on tours.
It can also be visited and appointments can be made by calling 0160/90520183.
The Ditzum-Bunder-Sieltief is a canal that winds picturesquely through the no less beautiful landscape.
You can canoe here through nature and past some farms.
The exit point is a few meters from the mill.
There is also a popular fishing spot there.