Hase-Ems-Tour

Along the way, you will experience an unusually diverse river landscape. The Hase is a lively body of water, occasionally changing direction, branching into an inland delta, with sometimes swampy, sometimes steep banks. Quite different is the Ems, which, as an important waterway, flows straightforwardly and purposefully.

Thousands of fruit trees line the Hase between its source in Melle and its mouth at the Ems in Meppen. They were planted 20 years ago as a model project by the German Federal Environmental Foundation, which now, as the trees have matured, bears the most beautiful fruits – primarily apples, cherries, and pears, which ripen between June and September. During the spring bloom, the fruit tree avenue also offers a feast for the eyes.

However, the avenue is not a reliable guide, nor is the course of the Hase—the rows of trees have gaps. Shortly after the source in Gesmold, the course of the Hase branches. In this rare "bifurcation," without its own source, the Else arises. Further water and river phenomena are illustrated here by an educational water playground.

While the Else flows toward the Weser, the Hase and the cycle path run toward the Ems. You cannot miss the correct waterway, as the Hase-Ems-Tour is signposted without gaps like all other cycle routes and reliably leads you to Osnabrück, which is also a charming starting point. The Hase shapes parts of the Osnabrück city center and then accompanies the transition into the Haseniederung Nature Reserve. 

Here, the Hase is already a powerful watercourse that powered numerous mills, including in Bramsche, where the cloth makers’ guild has been producing fabrics using hydropower since the Middle Ages. The multiple award-winning Tuchmacher Museum shows this history. Known as the granary of the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück, prosperity is evident in the richly carved and painted half-timbered farms. 

Just past Quakenbrück, the Hase makes a curve and flows westward toward the Ems. In its last kilometers, including through the grain distiller town of Haselünne, it thrives with its natural attractions: at its renaturalized course, kingfishers and beavers have settled. At the historic town center of Meppen, the capital of the Emsland region, the Hase finally flows into the Ems, which now accompanies your way toward Lingen and Rheine. Experience the contrast: cargo ships with goods from around the world travel on the great river. Do not miss the detour to the Emsland Moor Museum, which shows the history of moor formation and cultivation.

Our travel tip:

Hase-Ems-Leisurely-Tour

Stage 1: Osnabrück - Bersenbrück, approx. 55 km
Stage 2: Bersenbrück - Löningen, approx. 58 km
Stage 3: Löningen - Meppen, approx. 45 km
Stage 4: Meppen – Lingen, approx. 40 km
Stage 5: Lingen – Rheine/Hörstel, approx. 55 km
Stage 6: Rheine/Hörstel – Osnabrück, approx. 40 km

Attractive package offers can be booked via www.hasetal.de