The German Tourist Office launched their new campaign this week Embrace.German.Nature, with the Dutch motto being #DGermanyclose. The message: get out and about sustainably, into nature, and it doesn't have to be far. That you can get away nicely in Germany on a bike, the Grenzgängerroute Teuto-Ems, which was briefly spotlighted. By the way, don't let the word ‘GrenzGanger’ fool you, because the route (unfortunately) doesn't really cross the border. But, you do pass some wonderful old smuggling trails. Because that is the theme of this route. Smuggling trails are intertwined with border areas, and although you still have to ride a bit to the real physical border between the Netherlands and Germany, you can see the smuggling trails here too. What you can expect on this cycle route in Osnabrücker and Münsterland

Smugglers and salt - a little history

The name says it all: frontiersmen. In the 18th century, this area was a patchwork of kingdoms, and salt - the white gold - was considerably more expensive on one side of the border than on the other. Traders moved with their merchandise through the forests of the Teutoburg Forest to avoid taxes. The modern cycle route follows those ancient paths and crosses a historic border 14 times. Smugglers' routes actually always do well because of the story. This route is exactly the same in that respect. It also splits the regions of Osnabrucker Land and Münsterland, so you ride in both Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.

What can you expect?

The route is 149 kilometres long in total and has been awarded no less than four ADFC stars. A rating we normally do not really look at, but in this case it gives an indication of the quality of both infrastructure and signposting. Although the GPXs in this article will do just fine.

You cycle right through the UNESCO Geopark TERRA.vita, where 300 million years of Earth's history lie on the surface and the landscape is varied. You will also find the following highlights here:

• Teutoburg Forest: rolling forest paths with a little climb here and there, especially around Bad Iburg and Borgholzhausen. The Teutoburgerwald is a favourite alternative to, say, the Eifel or a weekend in Limburg. This region in Lower Saxony is just a stone's throw away.
• Ems Valley: flatter, more open, quiet country roads where you can rest your legs. You can also ride along the canal here.
• Artland: large half-timbered farms and agricultural landscape with opportunities for a break.

And then there are the spa towns. Bad Iburg has a treetop trail overlooking the forest, Bad Laer is known for its salt springs, which also explains the smuggling route: dodging the salt tax in the old days. We stuck a route with this and did another alternative with some wonderful climbs in it.

The route of the Grenzgänger with the alternative with climbs!

Practical

Accessibility: Osnabrück is a possible starting point, easily accessible by train from Utrecht or Amsterdam. Bikes can be taken on the train; if departing on Saturday morning, arrival before noon is possible. By car, it is only 2 hours from Utrecht to Osnabrück, which is fine.

Seasonal: the period from mid-April to the end of June coincides with ‘Spargelzeit’, aka asparagus time; during this period, 49 asparagus farms and landgasthöfe are located right on the route. Should you be looking for a good lunch along the way, you don't have to look far.

Do you already know the Grenzgänger Route? Which stops should you not skip? We would love to hear from you!