Villas in Duemmer Lake

All our Dümmer homes are in Lembruch, on the east shore, a base for sailing, birdwatching and the 27 km ride round the lake. The Dümmer is Lower Saxony's second-largest lake, very shallow and flat all round, between Osnabrück and Bremen. Expect holiday houses rather than villas, and note that blue-green algae can close swimming in hot summers.

Where

Villas: 58
From, per week: £223
Cheapest month: November
Nearest airports: Bremen and Münster Osnabrück are each around an hour away, and Hanover around an hour and a half. Flights from London take around an hour and a quarter to Bremen.

Where to stay in Duemmer Lake

Lembruch (east shore)

Lembruch is the busiest spot on the lake, with a promenade, boat hire, sailing clubs and a few restaurants serving smoked eel and lake fish. The Dümmer Museum covers the lake's wildlife and the Stone Age settlements found around it. On an evening in August the village holds Der Dümmer brennt, a lakeside festival with fireworks. Bremen and Münster Osnabrück airports are each around an hour away.

Best for: Sailors, windsurfers and families who want the lake a short walk away

Not for you if: You want a choice of towns: every home on this page is in this one village.

The west and south shores (day trips from Lembruch)

Most of the shoreline away from Lembruch is nature reserve, a mix of reeds, alder carr and grazing meadows that flood in winter. It is an important stop for migrating and wintering birds, with geese in the colder months and waders in spring. The Ochsenmoor, a stretch of wet grassland near the south-east shore, has a viewing tower and boardwalks. Dümmerlohausen is a small village on the west side. From Lembruch it is around 15 minutes by car or under an hour by bike.

Best for: Birdwatchers and anyone who wants reed beds and wet meadows

Not for you if: You want to walk the whole shoreline: much of it is protected reserve, and paths keep back from the water.

Hüde and the cycle path round the lake

The Dümmer-Rund-Tour circles the lake for about 27 kilometres on flat paths, and from Lembruch you can ride it in a morning with stops. Hüde, on the north shore, has cafés and a bathing spot, and is the halfway point if you start in Lembruch. Bike hire is available around the lake, and longer signed routes head off across the Diepholz moors.

Best for: Easy, flat cycling for all ages

Not for you if: You want hills or shade: the route is open and exposed, and it can be windy.

Diepholz, the Dammer Berge and the Stemweder Berg (from Lembruch)

Diepholz, about 15 minutes east of Lembruch, is the district town, with the tower of its old castle in the centre and a pedestrianised shopping street. The Dammer Berge, a low ridge of pine and beech woods to the west, and the Stemweder Berg to the south give the only real hills nearby and the best views back over the lake. Osnabrück's old town makes a good day out when the weather turns.

Best for: Rainy-day trips, a small market town and woodland walks

Not for you if: You want big sights within an easy drive: Osnabrück and Bremen are the nearest cities, each 45 minutes to an hour away.

When to go to Duemmer Lake

June to early September is the main season for sailing, swimming and cycling, and Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia school holidays bring families in July and August. The lake is shallow, so it warms quickly, but in hot spells blue-green algae can lead to swimming warnings; check the local notices. Spring and autumn are the times for birdwatching, with large numbers of geese from autumn into winter. Winters are cold, damp and windy, and most cafés and boat hire close.