{"id":10905,"date":"2023-03-25T16:47:07","date_gmt":"2023-03-25T15:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/?p=10905"},"modified":"2026-10-05T07:43:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T07:43:46","slug":"gravel-track-in-the-reichswald-forest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/en\/verhalen\/gravelroute-in-het-reichswald","title":{"rendered":"Gravel route in the Reichswald \u2013 within a stone\u2019s throw"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are looking for a nice gravel route on the border with the Netherlands and Germany, look no further. The Reichswald, just across the border near Nijmegen, offers everything you need for a beautiful route with a story. Because if you are already doing cross-country riding through the forests, don\u2019t forget to check out the stones. We spent an afternoon with the guys from Soul Media and it didn\u2019t disappoint. Gravel in the Reichswald is something everyone should try. However, this afternoon ended for the writer a bit on a low note, but that wasn\u2019t the fault of the route!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Text: Sander Kolsloot, photos: Gijs Ferkranus \u2013 TRLS<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sander tilling the field \/\/ Gijs Ferkranus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Start = finish of this gravel route<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While I was in the MyWheels shared car parking lot Restaurant de Diepen<\/a> On the way, a group of men are sitting at a camper van drinking coffee. Against the camper van, some expensive mountain bikes lean over, and I think I\u2019ve hit my travel companions. That\u2019s not true at all. I look at my phone and there\u2019s the first message with \u2018on the way\u2019. As it turns out later. Three of us got a bit tired during the journey between Arnhem, where the friends from Specialized provided some test equipment, and the border at Milsbeek. We\u2019re in the tip of Limburg, a few hundred meters from the border with Gelderland. Eethuis de Diepen is also the last house left in the Netherlands, because from here the next stop is Germany<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The forest in<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The longer wait is finally rewarded. My travel companions Merlijn<\/a>, Gijs<\/a>, Sjoerd and Harm (we do qualify as MAMIL\u2019s, sorry guys) will be here soon. Let\u2019s get to know each other first, because we only chatted on the phone. Gijs\u2019 LandRover is quickly loaded and after everyone has let off their steam we can get started. 50 kilometers of gravel driving through the Reichswald, where you can tick off a lot of the peaks in this forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Project \u2018Stein\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What makes this gravel route in the Reichswald so special are the following two things: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. All the peaks of the Reichswald that were mapped by Gerd Siebers and marked with stone markers. It\u2019s quite funny that this pastor from the town of N\u00fctterden actually left behind a beautiful legacy out of boredom. Because being a pastor in N\u00fctterden isn\u2019t necessarily a day job. He invents something new. He wants to map all the peaks higher than 50 meters in the adjacent forest and (not unimportant) also mark them. With a total of 31 \u2018summit stones\u2019 he completed the task in 1981 and mapped all the peaks higher than 50 meters. A wonderful way to fully immerse yourself in this forest<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The Steinm\u00e4nnchen by artist Marcus Gern, which resemble creatures derived from the Stoanerne Mandl<\/a> in the vicinity of Bolzano<\/a>. This is also a special place. Whether Marcus got his inspiration from Gerd is, of course, another question. On the summit stones there are sometimes also small stones that seem to form male shapes. They support each other. The artist Gern, who happens to also come from N\u00fctterden, has piled thousands of stones on the edge of the forest over the past ten years. The (unofficial) artwork was named Steinm\u00e4nnchen <\/em>(stone men). At first they look like little dolls.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    Stone male figures \/\/ Gijs Ferkranus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Gravel route up and down<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The route starts from the trailhead, soon entering the forest. In the forest, you can see why our friend Siebers has chosen such a beautiful project. It goes up and down steep slopes. It\u2019s steep climbs, but you don\u2019t notice them when you start. On every peak you come across another beautiful piece of rock, neatly marked with the height meters. Individually, the rocks aren\u2019t particularly impressive, but when combined they add up to over 500 meters in elevation in just under 50 kilometers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    From swinging single tracks to \u2018straight-to-the-point\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The route is not just a straight climb. The variety also lies in the sometimes very narrow singletracks that then lead off further on into a beautiful wide forest trail. A forest trail that simply screams to be ridden. That makes it a wonderful route where you can recover from the \u2018spicy climbs\u2018 and also enjoy it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Little bike riders \/\/ Gijs Ferkranus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Refueling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    You can stop for a quick refuel halfway through the village; there is also a tap there at the cemetery to fill up the canisters, although on nice days you might want to sit down for a while on a terrace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Gravel route Reichswald<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Would you like to ride this amazing gravel route in the Reichswald as well? Then check out this route below and enjoy it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n