12th Krummhörn Church Tower Tour

Krummhörn – An Open-Air Museum of Medieval Church Architecture

Krummhörn is more than an East Frisian marsh landscape – it is one of the most impressive open-air museums of medieval sacred architecture in Northern Germany. Over 19 churches are spread across approximately 160 square kilometers, most built between the 12th and 14th centuries. The architecture – simple single-nave or three-nave brick buildings with characteristic towers, often located on mounds (Warften) – testifies to the prosperity and pious energy of a medieval region that was wealthy through trade with the Hanseatic cities and agricultural yields.

What Makes the Church Tower Tour Special

The Church Tower Tour is not a cycling race or a classic guided city tour. It is a hybrid format that combines several elements:

• Sporting Component – Moderate cycling tour over several stages, flat terrain, family-friendly distance
• Cultural Component – Visit to the churches with explanations by local guides
• Social Component – Encounters with local church communities, communal tea drinking
• Culinary Component – East Frisian tea, cake, bread, occasionally warm meals at the stops

Typical Tour Stops

The route changes from year to year – with 19 churches in Krummhörn, there is a wide selection. Typical stops on past tours included:

• Pilsum – Kreuzkirche (Cross Church), Romanesque, 13th century
• Eilsum – St. Petri Parish Church, the oldest sacred building in Krummhörn (12th century)
• Manslagt – single-nave brick church
• Loquard – characteristic west tower
• Pewsum – Church and Manning's Castle
• Rysum – world's oldest playable organ (1457)
• Greetsiel – younger church, often the starting point of the tour

Tradition and Present

The Church Tower Tour was first organized in 2015 and has quickly established itself as a hidden gem. It appeals to a broad audience: culture enthusiasts from Northern Germany, families looking to spend the weekend with a relaxed activity, regular visitors to Krummhörn wanting to experience the region from a new perspective, and church lovers for whom the medieval brick churches of Northern Germany are a field of study in themselves.