Shore paths in the Ruhr area - cycling on the water
Bike paths along the water always play an important role when planning a bike ride. In the Ruhr area is the Ruhr Valley Cycle Path probably the most famous shore path and also the Roman Lippe Route is becoming more popular. You can also cycle very relaxed along the many canals and smaller rivers and streams. Some of these ways, e.g Emscher way, extend to a remarkable 100 kilometers, others are only short sections, which are also ideal for planning your tour.
Shore paths in the Ruhr area
Cycle path on the Rhine-Herne Canal
The Rhine-Herne Canal is a central waterway with important importance as a transport route for goods that are shipped from the Rhine into the central Ruhr area or even further east. It begins in Duisburg at the most important inland port in the world and ends at the canal junction in Datteln. Large parts of the Rhine-Herne Canal are accompanied by a cycle path, which results in a 50-kilometer cycle tour.
Cycle path on the Wesel-Datteln Canal
The Wesel-Datteln Canal is a federal waterway that runs from the Rhine near Wesel to the canal junction in Datteln. It is one of the busiest waterways in Germany. The Wesel-Datteln Canal can also be explored by bike over a distance of around 63 kilometers.
Cycle path on the Dortmund-Ems Canal
The Dortmund-Ems Canal is a federal waterway that runs from Dortmund to the Ems and then as a canal stretch parallel to the Ems to just before Papenburg. With the Dortmund-Ems Canal cycle route, there is even a signposted long-distance cycle path along the canal, 22 kilometers of which are in the Ruhr area.
Cycle path on the Datteln-Hamm Canal
The Datteln-Hamm Canal is a federal waterway from the canal junction in Datteln to the Westfalen power plant in Hamm. The main focus is on the transport of goods, but the canal has now also become popular for leisure shipping. You can cycle almost the entire canal by bike, only rarely is the canal bank impassable.
The Seseke Way
At 25 kilometers long, the Seseke-Weg certainly cannot be described as a full-fledged “river cycle path”. However, the route along the banks of the stream is worth a (bicycle) trip for cyclists in many ways.
The Rotbach path
With a total length of 18 kilometers, the Rotbach-Weg can be ideally integrated into a day tour in the western Ruhr area. From the Grafenmühle in Bottrop, the cycle path runs rather inconspicuously at the beginning, then later as a classic riverside path directly on the water to the mouth of the Rotbach in the Rhine near Dinslaken.
The Berne route
The Berne is one of the better-known tributaries of the Emscher, which is why it is also part of the Emschergenossenschaft's large renaturation project. The Berne route runs for around 9 kilometers from the northern city center of Essen northwards until the Berne flows into the Emscher in Bottrop.
The Kuhbach path
The Kuhbach-Weg connects the Seseke-Weg with the Klöcknerbahn railway cycle path over almost 7 kilometers. As a tributary to the Seseke, the Kuhbach is one of the more inconspicuous watercourses in the Ruhr area.