German Fen Route
About 65 kilometers south of the North Sea, in northwest Germany, the 173 kilometer long circuit of the German Fen Route leads through former moorland areas and fen colonies. Canals (so-called Wieken), functional locks, white bascule bridges, ancient brick churches and proud windmills are witnesses of an eventful past.
Bog and peat
"Fehn" is Dutch, means bog and describes a certain type of bog cultivation with which the bogs were removed from the 17th century. First of all, navigable canals were created to drain the moor. Then the peat was cut, dried and taken to the cities in ships (so-called Tjalks and Poggen) and sold there as fuel.
The route is signposted continuously in both directions, making it easy to travel around without constantly looking at the map. For those who love other activities besides cycling, the region offers extensive fishing waters and bridle paths. A special feature is that you can also travel parts of the route by canoe. At so-called paddle & pedal stations, which are found in many places along the route, you hand in your bike and paddle to the next station, while your bike is transported to the destination. There you will receive it again and continue your bike tour along the German Fen Route.
The German Fen Route makes it possible to experience:
- die Fehnkultur, die Sie auf einer Zeitreise und durch eigenes Sehen und Erleben sowie in den zahlreichen Museen entlang der Route kennen lernen können;
- die ostfriesische Gastfreundschaft, Lebensart und Kultur, z.B. bei einer entspannten Radtour über ausschließlich flaches Land;
- die vielen Sehenswürdigkeiten und Kleinode, die es neben der Fehnkultur an der Route zu entdecken gibt, wie z.B. die Meyer Werft in Papenburg.
Type of route: holiday route
Theme: Fen culture, a peat cultivation method from the Netherlands
Start/finish: Round-track, start and destination, e.g. in Augustfehn
Length: 173 km
Federal State: Lower Saxony
Holiday regions: Holiday area "Südliches Ostfriesland", Ammerland park landscape, Emsland, Aurich district, Cloppenburg district (Barßel-Saterland recreation area)
The world of peatland cultivation
It is just a special kind of voyage of discovery. Get to know the different types of bog! You can get an insight into the world of peatland cultivation, for example. B. in the moor and fen museum Elisabethfehn. The attached tea room gives an impression of the East Frisian tea culture.
Meyer shipyard in Papenburg
In many Fehn communities, there were many shipyards and self-employed fishermen in the past. In many feudal communities there were numerous shipyards and independent fishermen in earlier times. In the city of Papenburg alone, which is the largest and oldest fen colony in Germany, there were around two dozen shipbuilding companies, of which only Meyer Werft still exists today, which specializes in the construction of cruise ships.
Lower Saxony's flower bed
Another stop is Wiesmoor, the "flower bed of Lower Saxony". With the newly designed "flower kingdom" and the attached adventure golf course, the city offers attractive excursion destinations. The fen route with its many faces can be experienced not only by bike, but of course also by motorhome.
Route guidance with parking space information
This information is a service offer from ALPINE in cooperation with FERIENSTRASSEN.INFO 
Interessengemeinschaft Deutsche Fehnroute e.V.
Ledastrasse 10
D - 26789 Leer
GERMAN FEN ROUTE
