The Emsland route is around 395 kilometres long and leads past large shipyards and small canals. The circular route leads through the entire region in the north-west of Lower Saxony.
All 19 towns in Emsland and the Westphalian town of Rheine are possible starting and finishing points.
General information about the round trip through Emsland
The Emsland Route is just one of several long-distance cycle routes in the region. In addition to the approximately 395-kilometre circular route, you can also cycle along the Geest cycle path and the Hase-Ems-Tour cycling or on the United Countries Tour make a detour to the Netherlands.
The routes are well signposted and mostly tarmac. You often cycle along rivers and canals, through farmland, through moorland or the wooded Hümmling on low-traffic farm tracks or small roads. The Windmühlenberg on the border between Langen and Thuine is a challenging mountain stage at 93 metres, as is the Windberg near Werpeloh in the Hümmling at 72.7 metres and the Nattenberg near Emsbüren at 72 metres above sea level. Otherwise, the area is very flat, making it suitable for all nature lovers and families.
Cycling by numbers
Great thing - the Cycle guidance system is currently being converted to the cycle junction system throughout Emsland! The Emsland route and the long-distance cycle routes such as Ems cycle path, Dortmund-Ems Canal cycle route etc. are included in the so-called "Emsland cycle junction network" integrated.
All information can be found at www.emsland.com
Route of the Emsland Route
Meppen - Haren (Ems) - Lathen - Dörpen - Rhede (Ems) - Papenburg - Surwold - Esterwegen - Werlte - Sögel - Haselünne - Herzlake - Lengerich - Freren - Spelle - Rheine - Salzbergen - Emsbüren - Lingen (Ems) - Geeste - Twist - Meppen
Best time to travel
May to the end of September.
Arrival
You can join the Emsland route in all towns.
Travelling by car
As a rule, the car can be left at the first hotel free of charge for the duration of the cycle tour. Please enquire at the respective hotel beforehand.
Travelling by train
The Emsland region can be reached by train from Frankfurt, Koblenz and Cologne with direct Intercity connections without changing trains. Further information under www.bahn.de
Also for the "Emsland Line" between Emden and Münster, www.westfalenbahn.de
The following towns along the cycle route have a railway station
Rheine, Salzbergen, Emsbüren, Lingen (Ems), Geeste, Meppen, Haren (Ems), Lathen, Aschendorf and Papenburg.
Excursion tips and sights along the route
- Emsflower adventure park: Europe's largest nursery in Emsbüren, with a play paradise for children, Info: www.emsflower.de
- Tour of the Meyer Werft in Papenburgwhere gigantic cruise ships are built, Info: www.meyerwerft.com
- Moor Museum near Geeste, Info: www.moormuseum.de
- In the Emsland Museum in Lingen you can find out all sorts of interesting facts about the town and the region, Info: www.museum-lingen.de
- Open-air museum Von Velen plant in Papenburg, Info: www.von-velen-anlage.de
- Megalithic culture in Emsland, Info: www.huemmling.de
- The baroque Clemenswerth Hunting Lodge near Sögel, Info: www.clemenswerth.de
- The Wind and water mill near Hüven, Info: www.huevener-muehle.de
- Grain distilleries in Haselünne (Berentzen, Heydt or Rosche), or the Distillery museum
- Fire brigade museum in Salzbergen, Info: www.feuerwehrmuseum-salzbergen.de
Tip: Emsland Touristik offers the so-called Emsland box taxi a luggage transport service for the cycle tour, which Emsland-RADexpress also takes cyclists and cyclists to places that the railway leaves out during the high season. In addition to arranging bike hire, the Emsland experts also offer package deals for cycle tourists.
Hotel tips on the Emsland Route
- PapenburgHotel Alte Werft, Ölmühlenweg 1, 26871 Papenburg, Tel. 04961/9200, www.hotel-alte-werft.de, Email: info@hotel-alte-werft.de
- HarenHotel Greive, Mittelstraße 9, 49733 Haren, phone 05932 7277-0 www.hotel-greive.de, Email: info@hotel-greive.de
- EmsbürenLandgasthof Evering, Lange Straße 24, 48488 Emsbüren, Tel. 05903/935500, www.landgasthof-evering.de, Email: info@landgasthof-evering.de
- HaselünneBurghotel Haselünne, Steintorstraße 7, 49740 Haselünne, 05961/94330, www.burghotel-haseluenne.de, Email: info@burghotel-haseluenne.de
Broken down? These are some of the bike shops along the route
- SögelBike Park Koopmann, Püttkesberge 1, Tel. 05952/200480, www.bikepark-koopmann.de
- LingenKrone Radschlag, Radberg 16, Tel. 0591 / 3054, www.krone-radschlag.de
- MeppenDer Fahrradladen Janknecht, Burgstraße 3-8, Tel. 05931/12261, www.fahrradladen-meppen.de
- HaselünneFahrrad Beelmann, Bahnhofstraße 4, Tel. 05961/260, www.fahrrad-beelmann.de
Eating and drinking in Emsland
The traditional cuisine of the Emsland is hearty and down-to-earth, but also varied and flavoursome. One speciality is buckwheat pancakes, known in Low German as "Bookweiten" or "Bookweiten". Baukweiten-Janhinnerk called. A speciality in the preparation of these pancakes is the addition of tea or coffee to the batter. We also recommend dishes from the colourful Bad Bentheim pork, and in season there is delicious asparagus. The cakes and tarts (pumpernickel cake) made by the countrywomen are a real treat.
Maps & Books
2022 newly published: Emsland Route - On a round trip through the Emsland regionscale 1:50,000, 176 pages, 9,90 Euro
Information and planning
Emsland Tourismus GmbH
Herzog-Arenberg-Straße 12, 49716 Meppen , telephone 05931 92509-00,
email: info@emsland.com
Click here for the Contact persons
