Geeste Reservoir

The Geeste Reservoir is a man-made lake located in the municipality of Geeste near Lingen in the northern Emsland region stretching two kilometers in length and 1.3 kilometers across at its widest point. The water covers 230 hectares and is enclosed by a dam where much of the recreational activity and visitor infrastructure is concentrated along the shoreline.

This reservoir was built during the 1980s to provide cooling water for the Emsland nuclear power plant situated twelve kilometers away. After completion the lake gradually opened to the public and became a regional recreation area for swimmers and water sports enthusiasts.

The sailing club runs a marina with space for about 190 boats and offers training sessions for beginners who want to try handling a dinghy or catamaran on calm days. On summer weekends the beach fills with families grilling at picnic spots while children build castles in the sand and teenagers play volleyball between the nets set up along the shore.

The beach along the dam extends 850 meters and includes grassy areas for sunbathing plus playgrounds and volleyball courts as well as a restaurant for daytime refreshments. Visitors planning to swim or sail should choose days with light winds since stronger breezes can create small choppy waves on the open water.

A 50-hectare wetland along the shore includes an observation tower equipped with binoculars where visitors can spot rare bird species and protected plants that have colonized the restored shoreline zone. Herons and egrets also use the shallow areas regularly as a stopover during their seasonal migrations across the region.