Vechtetalroute Rosendahl-Darfeld - Zwolle NL

The Vechtetal route is a cross-border cycling and hiking trail that follows the course of the Vechte for a length of 223 km from its source in Darfeld in the Münsterland to its mouth in the historic trading city of Zwolle in the Netherlands. From Nordhorn, the route runs parallel to the cross-border kunstwegen route. On the way from the source to the mouth in the "Zwarte Water," you are accompanied by a diverse natural landscape with many canals, forests, and fields. In total, 15 different cities and municipalities are connected here by the Vechtetal route on both the German and Dutch sides.

The Vechte springs at the edge of Darfeld in the western Münsterland, at the foot of the Baumberge, the highest ridge in the region. From here, the cycling tour leads through gently rolling terrain with many unique views over the Münsterland to the artists' town of Schöppingen, which attracts around 80,000 pilgrims annually due to its medieval image of the Mother of God. Here, the Vechte still presents itself as a small river, often accompanied by dense vegetation.

From here, it continues through the typically old Münsterland village of Metelen to the tranquil town of Ohne, where the cyclist crosses from North Rhine-Westphalia into Lower Saxony in the county of Bentheim.

On well-developed bike paths, the route continues along the Vechte towards Schüttorf, the oldest town in the county of Bentheim. Here, you can visit the "Schüttorfer Riesen," the tallest church tower in the county. A shopping stop invites you to the former textile city and now water city of Nordhorn, whose entire city center is enclosed by the Vechte like an island.

With more than 80 sculptures exhibited along the Vechte by various artists from around the world, the kunstwegen route is considered Europe's largest open-air museum, where different aspects of nature, art, and history are connected in a unique project.

The Vechtetal route continues along small paths through idyllic landscapes along the Vechte, over Neuenhaus and Emlichheim, to the German-Dutch border. From there, it continues through small, typically Dutch villages to the former Hanseatic city of Zwolle, where the Vechte flows into the "Zwarte Water" and thus indirectly into the IJsselmeer. To this day, many historical artifacts from that time can be discovered in the city center.