Welcome to Transeurotrek.com 2nd Trek - Germany: Munsterland to Brandenburg
Germany Munsterland to Brandenburg
France Aveyron to Haute Provence
FROM NORTH SEA TO ADRIATIC
Germany - Munsterland to Brandenburg
SECOND SECTION - 26 February to 1 March 2007 Oldenzaal (Netherlands-Overijssel) to Hopsten (Munsterland) by E11, Marskramerpad & Handelsweg – 188 Km (412Km).
At the flooded border the Handelsweg changed to the Töddenweg and was heavily forested to Bad Bentheim. Pretty town centre with impressive early gothic town hall and church. Over the pleasant River Vechte, railway and motorway to farmland and woods along small roads and forest tracks. Reached River Ems - fast flowing with many locks - past Schloss Bentlage into Rheine where the river was racing high. Bleak, wet and windy over the vast Dortmund-Ems Kanal and through flat farmland on arrow straight roads with ditches full of flowing water. Rather boring. Saw 4 or 5 hares.
THIRD SECTION – 22 May to 2 June 2007 Hopsten (Munsterland) to Kreiensen (Niedersachsen) by E11 and Töddenweg - 270Km (682Km).
The Tödde were salesmen of linen made in Hopsten travelling throughout northern Europe. Ours was one of their main routes east-west. Flat terrain with wheat,corn and barley in the fields along quiet lanes. Followed the Mittelkanal for the first time. This is a busy thoroughfare and will be with us for much of the way towards Berlin. Into old coal mining area, now cleaned-up, then through a series of shallow quiet & green north-south running valleys to Mettingen where there is a still working coal mine and power station and on to Osnabrück. Lovely old town houses, Rathaus, churches and Dutch style houses. Big thunderstorm soaked us. Steep descent from a ridge of hills to the beautifully preserved mediaeval town Bad Essen - old spa - from where it was a lovely quiet walk through thick mixed hilly forests. Picked up the Arminius Way along the ridge to Porta Westphalia where the huge memorial to Kaiser Wilhelm, shaped like a crown in thick woods in a break in the ridge, overlooked the River Weser cutting through the break. A dramatic view and memorial. Huge distance sign to Berlin and Königsberg, once in Germany and now in Russia. Back onto a roller-coaster track into forest and wide tracks to 350m ridge walk. Rain through pine and beech forests with lots of deep green moss into Hameln. Enjoyed viewing the fine old centre of town and the statue of the famous Pied Piper before leaving past the Waste CHP pipes on an easy flat route through quiet villages, fields, cherry and apple trees. Past a glider airfield to the ridge of hills in thick, mixed woods to 15th century Lauenstein nestled on the eastern side. Continued along the sharp tooth ridge, past the quarry for 15Km with sheer drops to the right. Then descended to the valley and Gruenenplan, a glass making town. Crossed the valley from village to village by field paths and a regional path winding into the woods back to the ridge. Over the top to the sharp descent to the River Leine and Kreiensen.
FOURTH STAGE – 21 September to 6 October 2007 Kreiensen (Niedersachsen) to Belzig (Brandenburg) by E11 and E6 313Km (995Km).
Continued eastwards. Views all around and of the Harz Mountains ahead from the ridge above Kreiensen. Sunny, clear and warm through undulating woods, streams and fields. Fantastic mediaeval town Bad Ganderheim - many 15th & 16th Century buildings - part-timbered, carved and painted - still in use in the town and country around, some from Saxon times. Followed R1 European bike route along minor roads. After Seesen ascended on cool, clear forest trails. Lakes with walking, cycling and leisure activities. Paused for cold drink at pentecostal church fete - the 16th century Lutheran wooden church was simple and atmospheric. Stayed in Goslar - a real gem - street after street of half-timbered mediaeval houses still in use as homes, shops, cafes, hotels, etc. Turned south away from the E11 and along the E6 into the Harz Mountains up the river valley past several dams into the old mining area - miners' tracks with great views. Followed the Harzer Hexen Stieg from Altenau. Climbed slowly, following the wonderfully engineered mining water courses, 'Graben', built by miners from 1760, to Torfhaus which was cold and bleak. Lovely track through forest from there into a deep valley and old silver mining town, Sankt Andreasberg, on the southern slopes of the Brocken, the highest mountain of northern Germany at 1141m. Ski slopes and well-marked easy walking paths. Autumn colours and deep valleys. At River Bremke crossed the Cold War border between East and West Germanies, marked now by a memorial stone and adisplay of how the Iron Curtain looked with the trees cleared and guards facing each other. A poignant moment as we had lived through the Cold War. Followed the Kalte Bode river a long way through Königshuette past the reservoir on long stretches of concrete road through pine forests full of mushrooms and toadstools. Hard walking up and down through old timbered and half-timbered villages with effigies of witches (big in this area) along the way. Old workers holiday houses and factories now closed-up. Most houses of whatever age have new double-glazed windows even if no other improvements. Left the Ilsetal for higher ground southwards in heavy rain and thick forests to cross to Stolberg. Mediaeval town full of original wooden houses - quite wonderful. Heavy rain made the trail tricky as even streams were in flood and difficult to cross. Forced to detour to a ridge to avoid major flooding. Arrived Wippra to find it flooded but our eccentric Ukrainian-run hotel was just clear of the water and gave us a taste of the homeland. Left the Mountains and the flooded valley eastwards back on the E11 again to Lutherstadt Eisleben across fields and woods. Ate plums, pears and apples from pathside trees. The flood had left broken bridges, deep mud and soggy paths. Lost E11 way markers today and as no walking maps are available we followed minor roads north-east across huge collective farm fields with cobbled farm roads which were tiring to walk on. Disused collective farm buildings. Pretty fruit tree lined route. Arrived at the River Saale to find it was in flood and there was no bridge, just a ferry which could not run. Several mobile phone calls later we were taken by taxi back to Lutherstadt Eisleben. Next day took the train over the river and continued through Könnern and Köthen (a rather poor town where people stared at us) along roads across uninspiring farmland. Highlight was excellent coffee in a totally unmodernised rural cafe run by elderly lady with pictures of DDR leaders still on the walls. R1 European bike route to Altenau (old houses and cobbled streets) to cross by ferry one of Europe's major rivers, Elbe, which we will meet again in Czech Republic. We sat and admired the beauty of this big river flowing fast and silent. UNESCO environment area along northern bank - river basin with dykes protecting farmland. Cyclists and runners on the trail into industrial Rösslau. Then miles of huge woods on a grid system forced us to tack back and forth in order to go north. Few people but lots of witch effigies. Gentle walking through fields past memorial at Hagelberg of a defeat for Napoleon in 1813 by Cossacks and Russians. Picked up the E11 again outside Belzig, red-roofed town with cobbled streets throughout and castle towering above.
DISTANCE FROM NORTH SEA – 982Km = 614 miles
