Cycling around and through Vreden

This tour takes you through the Dutch-German border area between Winterswijk and Vreden. You cycle through the Achterhoek and through the German Munsterland. An ideal route if you are looking for peace, quiet and vast natural and agricultural areas. You cycle through the Zwillbrocker Ven, among other things. This German marshland, which is right on the Dutch border, is a breeding ground for more than a hundred bird species. The largest German black-headed gull colony, consisting of approximately 16,000 birds, breeds here. In addition, the Zwillbrocker Ven is the northernmost breeding ground for flamingos in Europe. The former Hanseatic town of Vreden is the only relatively large place you will visit during this route. This German town, located on the river Berkel, was already described in the annals of Xanten in the ninth century. In the course of its history, Vreden was hit by war, fire and plague, so that few historical archives are available. Nowadays Vreden mainly presents itself as a pleasant shopping town. In the centre is the twelfth-century Stiftskerk Sint-Felicitas, whose crypt dates back to the eleventh century. You drive through the Tenkinkbos into the Achterhoek. Here you experience the diversity of the Winterswijk National Landscape, a nature reserve of approximately 22,000 hectares. The landscape is a constant variation of fields, meadows and meandering streams, of hedgerows and forests. You will also see picturesque Saxon farmhouses and stately mansions. Together, these elements form the beautiful coulisse landscape that is so characteristic of the region around Winterswijk. Around the church village of Meddo you will see various monumental farms from the nineteenth century. The Molen van Sellink, the body of a windmill built in 1873, is also located here. The mill was named after the first miller, Jan Hendrik Sellink. The mill has always been owned by the miller's relatives. This is still the case, even now that the mill is home to a compound feed factory. Remarkably, two of the largest boulders in the Netherlands were found in Meddo. The lightest boulder, still weighing 38,000 kg, is located at the canteen of the local football club. The heaviest boulder (43,000 kg) was moved to the old town hall of Winterswijk as a showpiece. This route starts and ends at Hotel Restaurant Kloppendiek in Zwillbrock, a village just across the Dutch border in Germany. In a peaceful environment, you can enjoy typical Westphalian hospitality and culinary art. For example, the entire range of pastries and bread comes from the in-house bakery. The apple pie and gooseberry baisse are highly recommended: they are made according to a traditional family recipe. The restaurant is a wonderful place to dine after a beautiful day of cycling. How relaxing is it to not have to get in the car after an aperitif, but to settle down in a comfortable hotel bed? Especially if a nice bike ride awaits you the next day, because you can also cycle route 162605 from this hotel.