Westschleifchen - Rennradtour bei Sottrum

Route Overview:
Sottrum – 9 km – Reeßum – 4 km – Otterstedt – 7 km – Wilstedt – 4 km – Tarmstedt – 4 km – Hepstedt – 4 km – Kirchtimke – 6 km – Steinfeld – 4 km – Nartum – 5 km – Mulmshorn – 8 km – Bötersen – 3 km – Waffensen – 6 km – Sottrum


Detailed route description:
We begin our 64-km round trip at the Sottrum train station, which is located on the Hamburg–Bremen rail line and offers convenient access. On the first section of the route to Mühlenort Stuckenborstel, we pass under the A1 highway, cross the small Wieste River, and reach the town of Reeßum after 9 km.

The tour continues along the K242 to Otterstedt in the neighboring district of Verden, where a detour takes us to the popular swimming lake Otterstedter See is possible. From Otterstedt, the route continues along the K146—partly on the brand-new bike path to be completed in 2025—on to Dipshorn and Wilstedt.

Wilstedt, a town with many creative artists and a vibrant club scene, is also a hub for several interregional bike routes, such as the Hamburg-Bremen Long-Distance Bicycle Route and the Mönchsweg. The St. Petri Church in the town center is worth a visit, as is the ice cream shop with its café.

Across the Wörpe River, it’s only 4 km to the larger neighboring town of Tarmstedt, which is known for the Tarmstedt Exhibition, northern Germany’s largest agricultural fair with over 100,000 visitors. From Tarmstedt, we’ll cycle 8 km via Hepstedt on to Kirchtimke. The village is idyllically situated in the midst of a rural landscape, where the historic St. Lambertus Fieldstone Church, dating from the 12th century, shapes the town’s character.

The next section takes us through the Schierk Forest and along roads—some of which have been recently repaved—via Steinfeld to Nartum. The town is known as the home of the writer Walter Kempowski, who lived and worked here for many years. His estate, the “Haus Kreienhoop”, built in 1957, served as a retreat and source of inspiration for Kempowski. Today, the house—where the author wrote many of his works—is open to the public and offers insights into Kempowski’s life and work.

On wide, well-paved roads, we reach the only climb on this tour: Just before Mulmshorn, we must tackle the ascent to the A1 highway bridge. The route continues through fields and farmland to the so-called “Gold Villages” of Bötersen and Waffensen. Both villages were awarded the gold medal in the “Our Village Has a Future” competition: Bötersen received the title at the state level in 2019, while Waffensen even won at the federal level in 1987 and 2010. Both villages are characterized by a well-maintained village atmosphere and an active community life that steadily improves the quality of life in the countryside—an impression that becomes immediately apparent as you ride through.

The final 6 km take us back to the Sottrum train station. If you’d like to wrap up your bike tour at a restaurant or café, take Lindenstraße to the center of Sottrum, where you’ll find several places to stop for refreshments near the St. Georg Bicycle Path Church.

The road bike tours in the district of Rotenburg (Wümme) are neither signposted nor marked on site. GPX tracks are available for orientation (e.g. here on the page as a download).

Information and GPX tracks for all road bike tours in the district of Rotenburg (Wümme) can be found at app.nordwaerts.de, nordwaerts.de, komoot.com and strava.com or in the handy folding brochure.

All the information about the road bike tours in the Rotenburg (Wümme) district is presented in a handy fold-out brochure. It can be ordered from the website of the Rotenburg (Wümme) District Tourism Association and is available at tourist information centers along the route, including those in Sottrum and Tarmstedt.