Artland Bike Tour

The route of the Artland cycling tour was revised and newly signposted in April 2022. You can find the current route on this website.

The Artland cycling tour offers tasteful stage destinations and deep insights into the unique Artland farmhouse culture in abundance. Along the way, you can enjoy the beauty of the old, fertile cultural landscape, the river landscape of the Hase, a detour into the moor, and numerous encounters with history. Rolling cornfields against the backdrop of deep green groves, reed-lined waterways amidst lush pastures, and in between, impressive farmyards with ancient trees and mighty hedges - cyclists today appreciate the landscape richness of the Artland. The farmers on around 700 farms on both sides of the Hase river have always valued the wealth they owe to the fertile soils. Proudly, they displayed their prosperity on their houses, whose half-timbered facades were adorned by artisans with elaborate carvings and paintings. Today, many of the listed farms host guests, selling regional products in farm shops. And in some places, under the ancient oak beams, you can also find accommodation for the night - in cozy holiday apartments or even adventurously romantic in the hay.
Half-timbering also characterizes the towns and villages of the Artland - especially the old castle and Hanseatic town of Quakenbrück, now the economic and cultural center of the region. But even in the smaller towns, clear signs of early prosperity can be found. For example, in magnificent churches like the Artland Cathedral. Or in the special way in which places like Menslage and Gehrde are laid out: around the church, the houses stand close together, only a few gates lead into the "church ring". In case of danger, these gates were closed, and the city's supplies and treasures could be defended against besiegers like in a castle.
The fertile Artland has been inhabited for about 5,000 years, as evidenced by megalithic graves on the Ankumer Heights. Their builders are considered the first farmers in the northwest. Do not casually pass by even more recent architectural monuments. Stops worth visiting include Everdings Windmill in Groß-Mimmelage, Fürstenau Castle, and the former Cistercian convent Stift Börstel.
If you have stocked up your provisions basket at one of the farm shops, you can also enjoy a perfect break in the deep forests and moorlands between Berge and Menslage.