The Emscher Trail - probably the most unusual river cycle path in Germany
The Emscher Trail is no ordinary riverside cycle path – it's a journey of discovery through the history and future of the Ruhr region. For approximately 100 kilometers, you'll follow the Emscher River from its source in Holzwickede to its confluence with the Rhine near Dinslaken. It's hard to believe: just a few years ago, the Emscher was considered the dirtiest river in Germany, a symbol of an industrial region dominated by coal mining. Today, it's a sign of change – just as the sky over the Ruhr region has turned blue again, so too has the water of the Emscher become clean once more.
The route leads past impressive structures of modern water management – huge rainwater retention basins, pumping stations and sewage treatment plants become unexpected sights and exciting photo spotsThe importance of water and wastewater management is becoming increasingly apparent in times of climate change, and nowhere else will you understand this story better than along the Emscher River. Even an overnight stay on your tour can become an experience: for example, at the "Parkhotel" on the Emscher. Hof Emscherauen in Castrop-Rauxel or in Berne Park Bottrop, where old sewage pipes have been transformed into charming micro-lofts.
Another highlight is the Emscher art trailSince RUHR.2010 was the European Capital of Culture, a unique sculpture trail has emerged along the river. Contemporary art meets industrial heritage, interacts with the location and landscape, and transforms the cycle path into an open-air gallery.
Experience the Emscher Trail – a cycle path that shows what transformation looks like: urban, green, creative and full of stories.
This is what awaits you on the Emscher Trail
What you should know about the #Emscherregion
The Emscher – A little Cinderella story
If one truly wants to appreciate the Emscher's contribution, one should speak of the Emscher region rather than the Ruhr region. This river has shaped the region far more profoundly than the Ruhr itself. While the Ruhr in the south was synonymous with leisure and recreation from early on, the Emscher in the heart of the Ruhr bore the burden of industrialization: it was straightened, encased in concrete, and served as an open sewer – the proverbial "sewage drain" – the unloved servant.
The reason for this was coal mining, which caused widespread subsidence over decades. Some places are now up to 25 meters lower than they were a hundred years ago. This subsidence repeatedly created faults, making an underground sewer system impossible. The Emscher River thus became an open sewer. It even had to be diverted and pumped several times because its mouth in Duisburg was no longer the lowest point of the river. As a result, the mouth migrated further and further north until it reached Dinslaken. In addition to the actual Emscher Trail, there are also cycle paths along the "Old Emscher" and the "Little Emscher"—former courses of the river before it was diverted north. Since the 1990s, the Emscher has been given back its freedom. One of the largest renaturation projects in Europe has transformed the once lifeless river into a new natural gem—with floodplains, wetlands, and a return of fish, birds, and insects. This process is still ongoing, and anyone cycling the Emscher Trail now is witnessing this rebirth of nature. The Emscher, once a grubby maid, now dances confidently and vibrantly in a radiant blue-green ball gown through the Ruhr region, captivating cyclists from its source to its mouth.
