Vechtetal-Route

The Vecht Valley Route is a 223 km long cross-border cycle route that follows the course of the River Vecht from its source in Darfeld in Münsterland to its mouth in the historic trading town of Zwolle in the Netherlands. From Nordhorn, the route runs parallel to the cross-border art trail route.  On the way from the source to the mouth of the "Zwarte Water", you are accompanied by a varied natural landscape with many canals, forests and fields. A total of 15 different towns and municipalities are connected here on both the German and Dutch sides by the Vecht Valley Route.

The Vecht has its source on the outskirts of Darfeld in western Münsterland, at the foot of the Baumberge, the highest mountain range in the region. From here, the cycle tour leads through slightly hilly terrain with many unique views over the Münsterland region to the small artists' town of Schöppingen, which attracts around 80,000 pilgrims every year 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, the route continues through the typical old Münsterland village of Metelen to the tranquil town of Ohne, the place where cyclists cross from North Rhine-Westphalia into Lower Saxony in the county of Bentheim.

The route continues along the Vechte on well-maintained cycle paths towards Schüttorf, the oldest town in the county of Bentheim. Here you can visit the "Schüttorfer Riesen", the highest church tower in the county. The former textile and now water town of Nordhorn, whose entire city center is surrounded by the Vechte like an island, invites you to stop for shopping.

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

The Vecht valley route continues on small paths through idyllic landscapes along the Vecht, via Neuenhaus and Emlichheim, to the German-Dutch border. From there, the route continues through small, typically Dutch villages to the former Hanseatic town of Zwolle, where the Vechte flows into the Zwarte Water and thus indirectly into the Ijsselmeer. Even today, you can discover many reminders of that time in the town center.