RoutesRoad cycling routesGermanyLower SaxonyLandkreis EmslandBockhorst
Bird Sanctuary – Esterweger Dose Wetlands loop from Bockhorst
RoutesRoad cycling routesGermanyLower SaxonyLandkreis EmslandBockhorst
Bird Sanctuary – Esterweger Dose Wetlands loop from Bockhorst
Moderate
4
riders
Bird Sanctuary – Esterweger Dose Wetlands loop from Bockhorst
02:20
52.0km
50m
Road cycling
Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Some segments of this route may be unpaved and difficult to ride. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.
Last updated: June 26, 2026
Tips
Includes a movable bridge
Check opening times.
After 33.8 km for 18 m
Waypoints
A
Start point
Bus stop
Get Directions
1
21.5 km
Polder Holter Hammrich Nature Reserve
Highlight • Natural
Die Bietzestraße führt uns in der Westachse entlang des Vogelschutzgebietes „Polder Holter Hammrich“ und „Polder Leyßer Hammrich“, wo wir über weit ausgedehnte Wasserflächen eine Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Vögel bei der Brut, der Rast oder auch beim Poker, oder was die Vögel sonst so machen, beobachten können. Feldstecher hoher Qualität, Teleobjektive und Einbeinstative erhöhen hier den Erlebniswert immens. Verschiedene Schautafeln klären über das Areal, Flora und Fauna auf.
Das Vogelschutzgebiet "Polder Holter Hammrich" inklusive des "Polder Leyßer Hammrich", wie der offizielle Begriff heißt, ist mit seinen gewaltigen 240 Hektar großem wiedervernässten Areal nördlich an der Leda angrenzend, eine Traumlandschaft für Radelnde und Wanderfreudige, wie man sie nur selten findet.
Dabei ist das von 3 Seiten anzusteuernde Refugium für über 60 Vogelarten mit einem Rundweg von 7 Kilometern inklusive Aussichtsturm ein beliebtes Ausflugsziel in der Region.
Auf moorigem Untergrund wurde der Umbau des Entlastungspolders begonnen und 2011 fertiggestellt. Der eigentliche Zweck des Schutzes vor Hochwasser fand ganz nebenbei, auf natürlichem Wege sozusagen seine für uns so interessante und für die Lebensräume der Vögel so notwendige zweite Bedeutung: Dem Vogelschutz.
Man kommt von Leer kommend an Amdorf vorbei hierher, Von Detern oder Rhauderfehn über Holte und Holterfehn und dritterseits von Collinghorst über Backemoor und Schatteburg auf angenehmen Radwegen, oder zur Not auch per PKW hierher.
Es lohnt sich für die Tour etwas Zeit, ein Fernglas und falls eine Kamera mitgeführt wird, auch ein Einbeinstativ mitzubringen. So werden neben dem Genuss der bezaubernden Natur auch tolle Tierbeobachtungen möglich. Es lohnt sich auch, die Informationen auf den diversen Schautafeln aufzusaugen. In jedem Fall aber verlasst bitte nicht die vorgegebenen Wege zugunsten der Ruhe der Vögel beim Brüten und was sie sonst so treiben. So wird Euer Besuch am Holter und Leyßer Hammrich ein einzigartiges Naturerlebnis, von dem alle was haben.
Das Vogelschutzgebiet "Polder Holter Hammrich" inklusive des "Polder Leyßer Hammrich", wie der offizielle Begriff heißt, ist mit seinen gewaltigen 240 Hektar großem wiedervernässten Areal nördlich an der Leda angrenzend, eine Traumlandschaft für Radelnde und Wanderfreudige, wie man sie nur selten findet.
Dabei ist das von 3 Seiten anzusteuernde Refugium für über 60 Vogelarten mit einem Rundweg von 7 Kilometern inklusive Aussichtsturm ein beliebtes Ausflugsziel in der Region.
Auf moorigem Untergrund wurde der Umbau des Entlastungspolders begonnen und 2011 fertiggestellt. Der eigentliche Zweck des Schutzes vor Hochwasser fand ganz nebenbei, auf natürlichem Wege sozusagen seine für uns so interessante und für die Lebensräume der Vögel so notwendige zweite Bedeutung: Dem Vogelschutz.
Man kommt von Leer kommend an Amdorf vorbei hierher, Von Detern oder Rhauderfehn über Holte und Holterfehn und dritterseits von Collinghorst über Backemoor und Schatteburg auf angenehmen Radwegen, oder zur Not auch per PKW hierher.
Es lohnt sich für die Tour etwas Zeit, ein Fernglas und falls eine Kamera mitgeführt wird, auch ein Einbeinstativ mitzubringen. So werden neben dem Genuss der bezaubernden Natur auch tolle Tierbeobachtungen möglich. Es lohnt sich auch, die Informationen auf den diversen Schautafeln aufzusaugen. In jedem Fall aber verlasst bitte nicht die vorgegebenen Wege zugunsten der Ruhe der Vögel beim Brüten und was sie sonst so treiben. So wird Euer Besuch am Holter und Leyßer Hammrich ein einzigartiges Naturerlebnis, von dem alle was haben.
Tip by
2
26.4 km
Scenic Country Road
Highlight • Trail
3
29.0 km
Schöpfwerk Holte
Highlight • Monument
Wonderful area, always lots of geese here and other birds
Translated by Google •
Tip by
4
31.3 km
Bird Sanctuary
Highlight (Segment) • Natural
For an immense 33,000 Reichstaler, the 7.1 kilometer long main fen canal was finally completed in 1781. The construction of this then indispensable canal by the "Rhauderfehn Compagnie" took a full 11 years, which was decided a year earlier, namely in 1769, by Frederick the Great with the communities of Rhaude, Holte and the affected Sielachten. Since then, the tidal canal has connected Rhauderfehn via the Leda with the Hümmling, via the Jümme with the Cloppenburg and via the Ems with the North Sea and everything that follows the Ems to the south.
So it was a worthwhile undertaking that daring men decided over 250 years ago. Today the importance of the canal that gives the face between Ostrhauderfehn and the bird sanctuary on the Leda just before Amdorf seems to be rather minor. But that was not always the way you can now easily imagine.
For bike tours, the main Fehn Canal is a nice connection between the last-mentioned stations. The paths are well developed and therefore excellent for every bike. The route can be easily integrated into a "cradle tour" based on the topic.
So it was a worthwhile undertaking that daring men decided over 250 years ago. Today the importance of the canal that gives the face between Ostrhauderfehn and the bird sanctuary on the Leda just before Amdorf seems to be rather minor. But that was not always the way you can now easily imagine.
For bike tours, the main Fehn Canal is a nice connection between the last-mentioned stations. The paths are well developed and therefore excellent for every bike. The route can be easily integrated into a "cradle tour" based on the topic.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
5
33.8 km
Route from Holterfehn to Esterweger Dose via Hauptfehnkanal
Highlight (Segment) • Cycleway
10 km of pure driving pleasure: The nature reserves Polder Holter Hammrich and Esterweger Dose are connected from the Holterfehn bridge by a largely straight and tarred road surface in good condition.
The route leads along the main Fehn Canal along the Tobias Bridge, where a country road crosses to Holterfehn, to the port in Ostrhauderfehn and the traffic lights on the main road that leads from Westrhauderfehn through Ostrhauderfehn to Idafehn.
After the traffic lights, you should ideally continue on the right side of the cradle, as there is hardly any traffic here.
On the smooth tar you can get through quite quickly until you have to be careful when crossing Langholter Straße. Then it goes on along the 1. Südwieke to the entrance to the Esterweger Dose, the Jammertalstraße, which is not so suitable for racing biking on the first bumpy kilometers.
At the end of the section there is a refuge, as shown in the pictures, with a view of a small train and a pack of goats.
But you can also overcome the first bumpy kilometers of the Jammertalstraße, the surface of which is ok again after 1/3 of the route and enjoy the view of the radio towers and the rewetting zones in the can before the path leads us to the state road, which Either takes us back or continues to Esterwegen.
The route leads along the main Fehn Canal along the Tobias Bridge, where a country road crosses to Holterfehn, to the port in Ostrhauderfehn and the traffic lights on the main road that leads from Westrhauderfehn through Ostrhauderfehn to Idafehn.
After the traffic lights, you should ideally continue on the right side of the cradle, as there is hardly any traffic here.
On the smooth tar you can get through quite quickly until you have to be careful when crossing Langholter Straße. Then it goes on along the 1. Südwieke to the entrance to the Esterweger Dose, the Jammertalstraße, which is not so suitable for racing biking on the first bumpy kilometers.
At the end of the section there is a refuge, as shown in the pictures, with a view of a small train and a pack of goats.
But you can also overcome the first bumpy kilometers of the Jammertalstraße, the surface of which is ok again after 1/3 of the route and enjoy the view of the radio towers and the rewetting zones in the can before the path leads us to the state road, which Either takes us back or continues to Esterwegen.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
6
47.9 km
Esterweger Dose Wetlands
Highlight • Natural
The route through the Esterweger Dose via Jammertalstraße is always a pleasure. I love this track, even if the road surface is getting old. You can see how the rewetting is getting going again. In addition, the naval radio towers are of course something special here. After all, they serve as a reliable geographical orientation for the trained eye over long distances in all directions.
The 4746 hectare area was placed under nature protection in 2005 (NSG WE 245). Here, in addition to the high moor areas that can be renatured, we find e.g. Bog forests, mat grass and moor grass meadows, peat bog gullies, transitional and oscillating grass bogs and damp tall herb corridors. What initially sounds like positive news is clearly diminished by the fact that peat extraction is still permitted on a large part of the area until 2036. The Esterweger Dose belongs to a formerly 11,000-hectare area, which also included the 1,500-hectare Ostrhauderfehner Moor, the 3,800-hectare Saterland Westermoor and the 2,000-hectare Timpermoor.
The last breeding occurrence of the golden plover in Central Europe can be found in the Esterweger Dose. The golden plover needs raised bogs with low vegetation as habitat. However, all efforts were unsuccessful, in recent years there have been no more breedings, so that the protection program was discontinued.
Other rare species that we find in the Esterweger box are redshank, curlew, black-tailed godwit, crane, greater mermaid and sundew.
The 4746 hectare area was placed under nature protection in 2005 (NSG WE 245). Here, in addition to the high moor areas that can be renatured, we find e.g. Bog forests, mat grass and moor grass meadows, peat bog gullies, transitional and oscillating grass bogs and damp tall herb corridors. What initially sounds like positive news is clearly diminished by the fact that peat extraction is still permitted on a large part of the area until 2036. The Esterweger Dose belongs to a formerly 11,000-hectare area, which also included the 1,500-hectare Ostrhauderfehner Moor, the 3,800-hectare Saterland Westermoor and the 2,000-hectare Timpermoor.
The last breeding occurrence of the golden plover in Central Europe can be found in the Esterweger Dose. The golden plover needs raised bogs with low vegetation as habitat. However, all efforts were unsuccessful, in recent years there have been no more breedings, so that the protection program was discontinued.
Other rare species that we find in the Esterweger box are redshank, curlew, black-tailed godwit, crane, greater mermaid and sundew.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
B
52.0 km
End point
Bus stop
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
28.5 km
16.2 km
6.56 km
499 m
208 m
Surfaces
37.6 km
8.87 km
4.23 km
687 m
641 m
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Weather
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Thursday 16 July
27°C
13°C
60 %
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Max wind speed: 19.0 km/h
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