Steverauen Olfen

Original river courses and untouched landscapes - the Steverauen in Olfen are a place where nature lovers and walkers can enjoy nature and unwind. The 120-hectare nature reserve is subject to the constant change of nature with numerous animal and plant species. In the course of the renaturation of the Stever, Heck cattle, Konik horses and Poitou donkeys were also introduced. They were soon joined by otters and storks. The "Steveraue Grazing Project", which began in 2002, has developed into a dynamic habitat and natural area. The nature reserve can be explored on foot, by bicycle or on a raft along the designated paths. The animals can best be observed from one of the vantage points, e.g. in the Sternbusch.
Information about the historyThe Steverauen lie along Olfen's "Alter Fahrt". This refers to a disused section of the Dortmund-Ems Canal. The section of the canal, which is about nine kilometres long and stretches from Datteln to Olfen, was the original canal bed from 1899 to 1929. However, this had to be relocated due to the increased volume of water traffic, as it was not possible to expand it at all points. In order not to have to close the canal for years, "new" or "second" runs with a larger cross-section were built. In addition, the canal bed could be straightened in the process. From 1929 to 1937, a new canal route was built from Datteln in the direction of Lüdinghausen. After completion of the Neue Fahrt, the old section was still in use for a while as an alternative branch, but was finally renaturalised and is now very popular with cyclists and walkers with its historical sights (harbour basin, Steverauen, three-arch bridge, crooked bridge and canal bridge "Alte Fahrt").