Variant through the Elmpterwald, Meinweg and Swalm on gravel roads

National Park de Meinweg and especially adjacent German forest areas (Diergardtscher Wald/Brachter Wald, Elmpter Wald, Forst Meinweg) have miles of gravel roads (which are also good to cycle by road bike) with some climbs in them (sometimes short steep up to 12%). This route consists of 63% gravel roads and you follow clockwise, starting in Asselt. It is a variant of an earlier route of mine (Through the Elmpterwald, Meinweg and Swalm on gravel roads), where variant refers to the fact that the route:
- makes an extra northern loop to Beesel (including along the Meuse),
- has a different approach from the woods near Swalmen to the Brachterwald,
- goes longer through the Brachterwald,
- goes through a more beautiful part of the Elmpter Wald (including a view of moors and with a number of extra climbs),
- goes through Forst Meinweg and town Dalheim (D),
- and some other gravel roads in National Park De Meinweg.

A detailed description follows below.

You first get some gravel strips around the river Swalm, over slightly hilly terrain and then a gravel road along the Maas, past the castle of Beesel and through nature reserve Beeselbroek. Then you cycle through Swalmen, partly through a residential area (on the right) and the river Swalm on the left, you cross the Swalm via a semi-unpaved road. Then you dive into the municipal forests of Swalmen with gravel again, but now really long stretches and then continue on gravel through agricultural area that has partly been set up as a new nature reserve. After you have crossed the national border it continues with gravel roads (over a distance of 10 km) with climbs (one short steep to 12%) and descents.

After this long gravel strip you cycle very briefly on the cycle path along the main road Swalmen - Brüggen and then you dive into the Elmpterwald on gravel roads. You first cycle along a heathland (with a piece of asphalt road) and then into the forest area via, among other things, the Alte Zollstraße. You get three short steep climbs, and later after crossing the A52 you get a beautiful undulating gravel road. After passing the Melickerven, you cycle east on a gravel road that takes on a stony character further on. The stones are well stuck in the roadbed, but that is why this road is a little less comfortable for cycling (on many parts you can often avoid the stony part on the far right). Finally near the hamlet of Meinweg you come briefly on paved road (that is after 23 km of gravel roads with 3x a short break on asphalt roads), but soon you take a gravel road through the Forst Meinweg and you come through the town of Dalheim. There is a climb on asphalt road and then you descend to the Dalheimer Mühle (an ideal break after 62 km (when you started in Asselt)). Then you switch back to gravel roads and cycle back into the Netherlands, through the Meinweg National Park.

The gravel roads in the Meinweg that now follow are partly part of the cycle route network, but are first wide (and you also get a climb first). You follow the Hooibaan with a descent of 10% on gravel road and then you continue on unpaved cycle paths. These cycle paths are also part of the cycle route network and are somewhat narrower than the previous gravel roads, so in good weather you can find recreational bicycle traffic on your path. In total you will find 10 km of continuous gravel through the Meinweg.

Before the visitor center of De Meinweg and associated holiday park you go again on gravel roads through the woods, interspersed with asphalt strips (crossing the Zandbergen and Melicker Heide (narrow gravel cycle path along sandy road)). You end up close to Roermond and then a few gravel roads come your way at Asenray and around Boukoul. Near Boukoul you also follow a cart track for 400 meters (unpaved non-gravel road with grass in the middle and on the sides). From Boukoul you cycle on paved roads past Hillenraad Castle to Asselt.