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A special route through greenery, villages, and flamingos.
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Written by Anna Volmer
Written by The Flamingo Route runs "ein bisschen" through the Netherlands and through Germany. The total length is 450 km! A long route, cycling or walking in one day is not in the cards. But it doesn't have to be. The round of the Flamingo Route uses the paths of the honeycomb network common in Münsterland and the Dutch junction system. That makes mapping out short day trips easy.
Ideal companions for exploring the Flamingo Route are the "The Flamingo Route Bicycle and Walking Guide" and the "Bicycle Route Network Map South Twente. Decide in advance where you want to start and take your time to experience beautiful nature, pretty villages and regional peculiarities.
Bicycle Route Network Map Twente
Book & Buro Haaksbergen | Spoorstraat 67
Dorpswinkel Wildenborg | Alsteedseweg 17, Buurse
Why Flamingo route?
The graceful Flamingo with their white and pink colors, their long necks and extremely long legs that dwell in Het Zwillbrocker Venn give the name to the route. Two species of flamingos live in the Zwilbrocker Venn, the common and the Chileflamingo. In spring the flamingos migrate to Zwillbrocker Venn. If their breeding period is successful, they often stay until September, sometimes leaving earlier. The island in the middle of Zwillbrocker Venn has been their nesting place since the early 1980s. From the "bird hide" at the edge of the Venn you can watch and photograph the beautiful birds undetected. You can spot a flamingo here simply in nature, no need to go to a zoo.
Want to know more about the flamingos and the Zwillbrocker Venn? Visit Zwillbrock Biological Station.
Starting points
More than flamingos
The route has more than just flamingos. The route crosses numerous nature reserves, beautiful villages and regional peculiarities. Chances are you will spot other animals along the way; Scottish Highlanders in the Witte Veen, green woodpecker in the Buurserzand or vipers in the Haaksbergerveen. All your senses are pleasantly stimulated: you see, hear and feel nature all around you; water birds flying overhead, bees buzzing around, the sound of water flowing over the stones or the wind playing with the dry leaves in autumn, the smell of a fresh forest. And how nice to get your hands wet and cool in one of the streams during a hot day in summer.
Combination of nature and culture
While cycling or hiking you can see and experience many things. On the one hand you have numerous nature with a diversity of animals and plants on the other hand you have villages with beautiful sights like castles (Kasteel Ahaus, Waterkasteel Gemen in Borken), churches (Pancratiuskerk in Haaksbergen), mills (Oostendorper Watermolen in Haaksbergen, Piepermolen in Rekken), and museums (Industriemuseum in Bocholt, Museum Buurtspoorweg in Haaksbergen, Museumfabriek in Enschede).
Sometimes in the Netherlands, manchmal in Deutschland
Unnoticed you pass on the route the border, you pick up a piece Twente, Achterhoek and abroad, Germany along. On the entire route you will encounter the following towns and villages: Haaksbergen, Buurse, Enschede, Alstätte, Gronau, Heek, Schoppingen, Ahaus, Legden, Stadtlohn, Gescher, Velen, Borken, Rhede, Bocholt, Oeding, Sudlohn, Vreden, Winterswijk, Groenlo, Zwillbrock and Eibergen.
