Vast landscapes

The "Wide Landscapes" cycle tour begins at the imposing baroque Ahaus Castle, a former residence of the prince-bishops of Münster. From there, the route heads west through the picturesque parkland of the Münsterland region, characterised by wide fields, green meadows and traditional farms.

On the way to Wessum, you pass the Butenfeld nature reserve, an area of around 155 hectares that has been protected since 1987 and provides a habitat for numerous animal and plant species. In Wessum itself, the charming village church and the historic town centre invite you to take a short break.

The route continues northwards to Alstätte, a district of Ahaus. Shortly before Alstätte, the route crosses the Hörsteloe juniper heath, a nine-hectare nature reserve with well-developed juniper stands and heathland. The cycle tour now approaches the Dutch border. Here it is worth making a detour to the Haarmühle, a historic watermill with a neighbouring inn that invites you to take a break.

The tour continues eastwards along the German-Dutch border through the Amtsvenn - Hündfelder Moor nature reserve, a raised bog covering around 893 hectares that is home to rare bird species such as garganey, teal and nightjar. A viewing point offers the opportunity to look out over the unique moorland landscape and observe birds.

After crossing the Amtsvenn, you reach the Eper-Graeser Venn, another nature reserve characterised by its wet meadows and moorland. The route leads along the fens and offers impressive views of unspoilt nature.

Finally, you return to Ahaus via the district of Wüllen. Shortly before Wüllen, the route passes the Quantwicker Mühle, a historic watermill that is a popular photo motif. In Wüllen itself, the historic town centre with its cosy cafés and shops invites you to take a final break before the tour ends at the starting point, Ahaus Castle.

This 60-kilometre circular tour combines cultural sights with impressive natural landscapes and offers a varied experience for cyclists of all levels.

Ahaus railway station is approx. 1.2 km from the starting point of the cycle tour and is regularly served by trains from Dortmund and Enschede.

By car, take the A 31 motorway (Oberhausen-Emden) to the Ahaus/Legden exit. From the exit, follow the signs in the direction of Ahaus.

If you are already travelling by bike, you can orientate yourself at account point 86. From there it is only a few turns of the pedals to the starting point.

In Ahaus there are 10 paid car parks (P1 - P10) with numerous parking spaces available in the city centre. The car parks are free of charge on Sundays. In addition to paying at the parking machines, the parking fee can also be paid by mobile phone.

Free parking is available on the outskirts of the city centre. The Kirmesplatz is the largest car park with 220 spaces.

The cycle tour is not signposted separately, but runs entirely along the signposted Münsterland junction network.

The use of a GPS track is recommended for navigation.

Links
Internetseite: https://www.muensterland.com/tourismus/orte-muensterland/orte-staedte-im-muensterland/ahaus-tourismus/radfahren-ahaus/radtour-weite-landschaften/

Schloss Ahaus

Schloss Ahaus