Who does not know the saying: “It is gruesome in Aurich, and much more in Leer”? But anyone who has visited Aurich and Leer once can only laugh at the saying – it describes everything else, just not the reality of these two special cities.
Admit – you shouldn’t come here in November, but then almost everywhere in Germany it’s rather dreary and gray. Since Aurich is located in the heart of East Frisia, the city is an excellent starting point for exploring the northern German region. For example, detours to Emden, Groningen, Papenburg, the Campener lighthouse or the Ihlow monastery are ideal. Another special experience is a visit to the Wadden Sea, which extends around 25 km northwest of Aurich according to programingplease.
And don’t forget to have a cup of tea in one of the city’s bars. In East Frisian it says: “Een Koppke Tee.” A boat trip on the Ems-Jade Canal to Emden or Ihlow can also be a nice highlight of a visit to Aurich. The journey to Emden takes you over the Kesselschleuse and the return journey takes around 8 hours, while the way there and back to Ihlow only takes around 2.5 hours.
If you are a little interested in the German past, you should visit the local Synagogenplatz with the Holocaust memorial. At the place where there used to be a synagogue, there are now basalt columns to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust who came from Aurich. The data of the victims are on the broad sides of the pillars, while the names of the concentration camps to which they were deported were placed on the long sides. The monument designed by the Aurich master stonemason, Bernd Clemenz Weber, was inaugurated in May 2002.
The “Princely Court Pharmacy”, which was first mentioned in a document in 1608, is also worth seeing. The then pharmacist Johannes Petrus Scofius mainly produced medicines for the count’s family and their servants.
Note
In East Frisia, the locals often speak Low German among themselves – both privately and at work.
Low German is not a dialect, but scientifically fulfills the criteria of its own language.
| Surname | Aurich |
| Name in Low German | Auerk |
| Country | Federal Republic of Germany |
| Federal State | Lower Saxony |
| Region | North Frisia |
| Landmark of the city | The approximately 35 m high Lambertiturm from 1662 |
| Function of the city | Administrative seat of the district of Aurich |
| City administration | Mayor (Bgm) -Hippen-Platz 1 26603 Aurich (East Friesland) Tel.: 0049 – (0) 4941 – 120 |
| Area | around 197 km² |
| Population | approx. 41,000 |
| Religions | Evangelical Christians Roman Catholic Christians Free Churches Reformed Churches Muslims |
| National currency | Euro (1 € = 100 cents) |
| Adjacent waters | Ems-Jade Canal |
| Official homepage | www. aurich.de |
| Tourist Office Tourist Center |
Norderstr. 32 26603 Aurich Tel.: 0049 – (0) 4941 – 4464 Fax: 04941 – 10655 Email: verkehrsverein@aurich.de |
| Telephone code with country code | 0049 – (0) 4941 – participant number |
| Time | CET or CEST (Central European Summer Time) in summer |
| Line voltage, line frequency | 230/400 volts and 50 hertz |
| License Plate | AUR, NOR |
Aurich: special features, festivals and events
City peculiarities
Weekly market
A colorful market is held on the town’s market square every Tuesday and Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Celebrations and events
Torch swimming
On January 1st the traditional torch swimming takes place in the port of Aurich.
XXL shopping
night Every night from Saturday to Sunday in April, November and December there is the traditional shopping night in downtown Aurich.
Easter market
The Easter market extends over three days and takes place in the parking lot at the old train station.
Dance into May
On the evening of April 30th, people will dance into May on the market square in Aurich.
Geranium market
At the beginning of May, the geranium market is held with a Sunday shopping.
Asparagus Festival
The Asparagus Festival takes place in May at Lambertshof.
Vis-á-Vis
This festival is a German-Dutch youth festival at the end of May / beginning of June.
City Run
The Aurich City Run takes place on a Saturday in mid-June. The road run is 10 km, the fun run over 5 km, the Bambini run over 500 m.
Motorcycle
service This service for motorcyclists is held on a Sunday in mid-June on the market square.
Wine and Gourmet
Festival Daes Tasty Festival takes place on the market square between Thursday and Saturday in mid-July.
Aurich City Festival
On Friday and Saturday in mid-August, the Aurich City Festival is celebrated in the city center.
Festival of Cultures
This festival is celebrated on the first Sunday in September.
Harvest Festival
The harvest festival takes place at the end of September on the market square.
Heidemarkt
On October 3rd, the Heidemarkt is celebrated on the market square. This day is a public holiday.
Autumn market
This market takes place on three days towards the end of October in the parking lot at the “Alten Bahnhof”.
Lights games
This event takes place on the 1st Saturday in November, when the XXL shopping night is also celebrated.
Christmas market
The Christmas market is set up on the market square from the last week of November until December 23rd.
Note
The exact dates of the various events can be obtained from the city’s tourist office.
Aurich: Arrival and traffic
arriving by car
There are basically two options for arriving in Aurich by car. The federal highways 72 and 210 meet in Aurich. The closest motorways are the A 28, A 29 and A 31.
For those arriving from the Ruhr area, it can be said that they should take the Riepe exit via the A 31 in the direction of Emden and then Follow the signs to Aurich for about 15 km.
For those arriving from the south, the A1 to Oldenburg and the subsequent change to the A28 in the direction of Emden are the best choice. Then take the Filsum exit and follow the signs to Aurich for about 25 km.
Arriving by train
The entire Ostfriesland region is connected to regional and long-distance traffic by the Norddeich-Emden-Leer railway. Trains via Oldenburg and Münster are recommended.
Detailed information on the train connections of the Deutsche Bahn (DB) to and from Aurich can be found under the following link: https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de
Arrival by bus
The public express bus company offers bus connections to Bremen and Groningen. The connection to Bremen also runs via Oldenburg. The connection to Gronigen is part of the Hamburg-Groningen line and also runs via Aurich.
An inexpensive and convenient connection to and from Aurich from further away is also possible with a long-distance bus: https://www.flixbus.de/busverbindungen
Arriving by plane
In the immediate vicinity of the city of Aurich there are only sports airports.
The nearest major airports are Bremen and Münster. From here there are options to reach Aurich by public transport.
For example, there is a connection with Deutsche Bahn from Bremen International Airport (125 km away). There is also the possibility of traveling around the city with charter flights via Emden Airport (25 km). Groningen Airport Eelde (110 km away) is also a smart option.
By ship across the Ems-Jade Canal
Since Aurich is located on the Ems-Jade Canal between Emden and Wilhelmshaven, it also offers options for getting here, and very pleasantly by ship.
Traffic, traffic rules
The Ems-Jade transport association offers services for the East Frisia region.
The tourist bus is particularly interesting for tourists. On presentation of the spa or guest card, regardless of the length of the route, you will receive a discounted single ticket. This applies daily from 9 a.m. on all bus routes of the transport association (from March 15 to October 31). The only exceptions are the days of arrival and departure of the holiday.