Die kleine Stade-Runde

Stade. Land. River. The Hanseatic city of Stade, with over 1000 years of history, is surrounded by unique natural and cultural landscapes and the Elbe and Schwinge rivers. And so the short Stade circuit is a successful combination of city impressions around the old town at the start and finish and, on the other hand, many swings into the green landscape oases in the south and west of Stade around the Schwinge valley.
On your own, you go on a 22-kilometre journey of discovery on two wheels far away from major roads, only a shallow 80 meters in altitude are overcome. The varied tour allows you to experience natural highlights such as the Horstsee lake, the green areas of the semi-open Ottenbeck forest and pasture landscape, the Schwingetal canoeing area with Schwedenschanze, the island, the ramparts and the Stade harbors. The route passes through the districts of Kopenkamp, Klein Thun, Ottenbeck and Riensförde and also touches the Barger Heide nature reserve and the Schwarze Berg.
Along the way, you can be enchanted by all kinds of animal surprises and natural experiences. In Ottenbeck, sturdy Galloway cattle graze on the semi-open forest and pasture landscape. A little further on, the Barger Heath glows an intense purple in July and August. When this natural spectacle is not on display, the heather sheep can be seen doing their favorite thing, grazing the bushes. And the attraction of the Schwinge is always noticeable along the course of the tour: from mid-May to mid-October, cyclists are always in good company with paddling water sports enthusiasts on the course of the river. The birdlife of the natural area will delight cyclists with its melody.
There is a lot to discover on the tour. If you keep an open mind, you can discover remnants from the fortress era at the castle moat and ramparts right at the beginning and end of the route, in Klein Thun historical street names along the route provide insights into Stade's past and in the Barger Heide and on the Schwarzer Berg there are still relics from the Ice Age to be admired in the local landscape. An entertaining tour of city impressions, green oases, natural highlights and various gems along the route off the beaten track.