- 27:40 h
- 412.99 km
- 209 m
- 221 m
- -5 m
- 9 m
- 14 m
- Start: Circular route
- Destination: Circular route
Around 354 kilometres of cycling pleasure between land and sea: the International Dollard Route takes you in a wide loop around the Dollard Bay, through East Frisia and the Dutch province of Groningen. Not a single climb, just wide polder landscapes stretching all the way to the horizon. Stroll through the historic old town of Leer, enjoy freshly caught shrimp in the fishing harbour of Ditzum and breathe in the sea air at the port of Emden. Across the border, the historic border town of Bad Nieuweschans, the harbour town of Delfzijl and the sparkling Oldambtmeer lake await you. Along the way you'll pass windmills, red-brick churches and dykes. A very special detour takes you right into the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site: from Emden or Eemshaven, the ferry carries you to the North Sea island of Borkum, where sandy beaches, dunes and fresh sea air invite you to linger. The highlight comes by boat: the passenger ship "Dollard" carries you across the bay. One route, two countries and plenty to discover. So hop on and start pedalling!
Best to visit
- suitableDepends on weather
Directions
A detailed route description can be found in the "Travel and Route Guide" of the Int. Dollard Route, which you can order free of charge on our website here.Â
Equipment
Apart from the standard equipment of every cyclist such as rainwear, helmet, sufficient drinking water and food, this route does not place major demands on the equipment.
Directions & Parking facilities
- Getting thereYou can reach us by motorway from the south (Ruhr area, Cologne, Düsseldorf) via the A31 and from the east (Oldenburg, Bremen, Hanover) initially via the A1, then take the A29 towards Oldenburg and from there the A28 towards Leer/Emden.Parking
Since the Int. Dollard Route is a circular route, you can start at any town along the route. Numerous hotels offer their guests parking spaces for the duration of their entire stay, provided the first or last night is spent there. Please discuss this with the respective establishment!
Furthermore, there are numerous free and paid parking options along the route. For detailed information, it is best to contact the tourist information offices of the towns on the route.
Public transportationBy train, you can travel on the German side to Leer or Papenburg. In the Netherlands, there are train stations in the following places: Winschoten, Scheemda, Uithuizen, Warffum, Uithuizermeeden, Roodeschool, Bad Nieuweschans and Eemshaven. Please note that due to the damaged railway bridge in Weener, train trips directly to the Netherlands or vice versa are currently not possible. However, there is a bus transfer between Leer and Bad Nieuweschans. Whether bicycle transport is possible on the bus should be clarified individually for your group with the company Arriva: +31 900 9292.Â
Additional information
Visit our website to learn more about the Dollard Route: www.dollard-route.de
Information about the ferries to Borkum can be found at: www.ag-ems.de
On the portal "Grenzenlos Aktiv im Nordwesten" you can plan individual routes in the Dollart region or download the Int. Dollard Route as a GPS track. Or get the "Grenzenlos Aktiv" app, which even offers a navigation function.
Literature
- Novel: The Grain Paradise 978-3861535508
License (master data)
Ulrich Schmunkamp
Author´s Tip / Recommendation of the author
The Int. Dollard Route is a circular route and signposted in both directions, so you can join the route at any point.Â
Safety guidelines
In addition to observing general traffic rules, you should especially expect sheep on the cycle path between Papenburg and Leer, as well as between Leer and Ditzum.
Furthermore, the cycle path can be very dirty in areas where the sheep graze!
Be sure to take enough provisions with you on a cycling trip around the Dollart, as gastronomy is very sparse on some sections.
Map
International Dollard Route, Bielefelder Verlag, scale 1:50,000, price €7.95 ISBN 978-3-87073-703-0Â
International Dollard Route and German Fehn Route, bikeline (Esterbauer Verlag) scale 1:50,000, price €12.90, ISBN 978-3-85000-660-6Â
You can order both maps in our online shop here.
