Hare-Ems-Tour

On the way, you will experience an unusually diverse river landscape. Because the Hase is a erratic watercourse, occasionally changing direction, branching out into an inland delta, with sometimes marshy, sometimes steep banks. The Ems, on the other hand, as an important waterway, takes a straightforward and purposeful course.

Thousands of fruit trees line the Hase between its source in Melle and its mouth at the Ems in Meppen. They were planted 20 years ago as a model project of the German Federal Environmental Foundation, which now, as the trees have matured, bears the most beautiful fruits - primarily apples, cherries, and pears that ripen between June and September. During the flowering season in spring, the fruit tree avenue is also a feast for the eyes. However, the avenue is not a reliable guide, just like the course of the Hase itself. The rows of trees have gaps. And shortly after the source in Gesmold, the course of the Hase branches out. In this rare "bifurcation", the Else is created without its own source. Further water and river phenomena are made tangible here by an educational water playground. While the Else heads towards the Weser, the Hase and the cycle path head towards the Ems. You can't miss the right watercourse, as the Hase-Ems tour, like all other cycle routes, is signposted without gaps and reliably leads you to Osnabrück, also a charming starting point. Because the Hase shapes parts of the Osnabrück city and then accompanies the flowing transition into the Haseniederung nature reserve.
Here, the Hase is already a powerful watercourse that powered numerous mills. This is also the case in Bramsche, where the clothmaker's guild has been producing its fabrics with hydropower since the Middle Ages. The award-winning Clothmaker Museum tells this story. Granary of the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück. You can recognize the prosperity by the magnificently decorated half-timbered farmhouses with carvings and paintings.
Just behind Quakenbrück, the Hase takes a bend and flows west towards the Ems. On its last kilometers, including through the grain distillery town of Haselünne, it thrives with its natural charms: Kingfishers and beavers have made their home along its renaturated course. At the historic city center of Meppen, the capital of Emsland, the Hase finally flows into the Ems, which now accompanies its way towards Lingen and Rheine. Experience the contrast: Cargo ships carrying goods from all over the world are traveling on the great river. Nevertheless, don't miss the turn-off to the Emsland Moor Museum, which shows the history of peat formation and cultivation.

Our travel tip:
Hase-Ems-Coziness-Tour
Your stages:
Stage 1: Osnabrück - Bersenbrück, approx. 55 km
Stage 2: Bersenbrück - Löningen, approx. 58 km
Stage 3: Löningen - Meppen, approx. 45 km
Stage 4: Meppen - Lingen, approx. 40 km
Stage 5: Lingen - Rheine/Hörstel, approx. 55 km
Stage 6: Rheine/Hörstel - Osnabrück, approx. 40 km

Attractive package deals can be booked via www.hasetal.de