{"id":26075,"date":"2026-02-12T10:51:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T09:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/?p=26075"},"modified":"2026-02-12T10:51:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T09:51:12","slug":"grenzgangerroute-teuto-ems-fietsroute-smokkelpaden-duitsland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/en\/verhalen\/duitsland\/noordrijn-westfalen\/munsterland\/grenzgangerroute-teuto-ems-fietsroute-smokkelpaden-duitsland","title":{"rendered":"Grenzg\u00e4ngerroute Teuto-Ems: Cycling Along Old Smuggling Trails Just Across the Border"},"content":{"rendered":"

The German Tourist Office launched their new campaign this week Embrace.German.Nature<\/strong>, with the Dutch motto being #DGermanyclose<\/strong>. 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 Grenzg\u00e4ngerroute Teuto-Ems<\/strong>, which was briefly spotlighted. By the way, don't let the word \u2018GrenzGanger\u2019 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 Osnabr\u00fccker and M\u00fcnsterland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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rossMediaRedaktion, TourismusMarketing Niedersachsen GmbH
Lizenz: CC-BY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Smugglers and salt - a little history<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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 M\u00fcnsterland, so you ride in both Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What can you expect?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You cycle right through the UNESCO Geopark TERRA.vita<\/strong>, 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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n