Heede offers several specific points of interest for a stay focused on nature and cycling: the Heeder Achterberge, the Heeder Moor and routes with different alignments. When choosing, it is worth considering the landscape and the route separately. In the nature reserve, the riverbanks and water features shape the natural environment; at the moor, a path around almost the entire area serves as a point of orientation. The routes, in turn, each have their own points of interest in Heede.
Achterberge and Heeder Moor
The Heeder Achterberge nature reserve is an old branch of the Ems. Its banks range from meadow to woodland. There are also varied stretches of water, shallow areas with water lily beds, deep spots and tree-covered islands. The Heeder Achterberge are ideal for walks and extended explorations. At the Heeder Moor, a well-maintained path runs around almost the entire moor. So, the focus at the Achterberge is on the different banks and water areas, while at the moor, the path’s course provides orientation. Check local notices before setting out on a tour of the moor.
Cycling routes and their alignments
The EmsRadweg runs right past Heede and leads from the Ems springs to the North Sea. The Dortmund-Ems Canal Route, signposted as the Rad-Route Dortmund-Ems-Kanal, runs directly alongside the Ems in Heede. The Emsland Route offers a different local point of reference: it passes through the centre of Heede. Your choice therefore depends on which point of reference matters to you: the full route between the Ems springs and the North Sea, the stretch directly alongside the Ems or the passage through the town centre. Check current route and trail-condition notices before setting out.
The Emsland Route can also be viewed on a larger scale. It is a 395-kilometre circular route through five landscapes of the Emsland region: Nördliches Emstal, Hümmling, Bourtanger Moor, Hasetal and Südliches Emsland. The route connects 19 places; any of the places in the Emsland region along the route can serve as a starting point and destination. It is very well signposted, mostly flat, paved and traffic-free. It is especially suitable for beginners and families with children. The local section through Heede is thus part of a route connecting several landscapes of the Emsland region.
An annual event in August
For a stay planned around a specific date, there is also “Heeder See in Flammen”. The festival has been held every year on the first Saturday in August since 1994. If you plan your trip around it, check the current event arrangements before travelling.
The wider Emsland travel destination
In the northeast of the Emsland district, Hümmling Nature Park covers around 580 square kilometres. Cycling and hiking trails pass historical sites, megalithic tombs and Clemenswerth Baroque Palace, with information stations along the way. The Theikenmeer loop is one of the nature park’s trails that meets the quality criteria of the German Hiking Association.
The Kranichpfad leads about 2.5 kilometres into the Theikenmeer nature reserve; the return journey follows the same route, making the total walking distance about 5 kilometres. Along the trail, there is a viewing platform with panoramic views of Lake Theikenmeer and the Wehmer Dose moorland, as well as an observation hut on the lakeshore. When planning the route, the out-and-back journey along the same trail is an important distinction from a route with a different alignment. Clemenswerth Palace adds a regional cultural attraction: its palace park covers 42 hectares and includes the Gloriette, the garden house of Elector Clemens August.
Discover more destinations: Lingen (Ems), Stavern, Herzlake, Fresenburg, Rastdorf, Rhede, Surwold, Twist.
Back to the main travel overview: Emsland.
