Marsh Marigold Route - Cycling in the Drömling

The starting point is the municipality of Miesterhorst, easily accessible by train and car (B188). Guests are warmly welcomed at Café Andrea at the village entrance and the inn "Zur Schmiede." From the village center with the Peace Oak, we ride a short distance along the B188 towards Wolfsburg. Before the bridge, we leave the road on the left and follow the path until we reach the Wilhelms Canal after three kilometers. A small wooden bridge allows crossing. Rustic tables and benches invite you to relax here, and a memorial stone commemorates the expansion of the Hanover - Berlin high-speed railway.

Field lark song accompanies us on the further route along the Wilhelms Canal to the Kramer Colony. A pair of storks cares for their young here from May to August. We continue to follow the canal with its unique fauna and flora. We do not take the Buschstraße turnoff after about five kilometers, but turn right about one hundred meters further.

The path leads to the Rätzlingen Colony, located idyllically on the Ohre. We follow it through a meadow area to the east. Resting lapwings and cranes can be seen here in hundreds and thousands in spring and autumn. Swans with their young can also often be observed here. After a short time, we reach the road that leads from Miesterhorst to Rätzlingen. Memorial stones at the Ohre bridge recall the drainage of the Drömling in the second half of the 18th century.

We turn right towards Rätzlingen and follow the road to the Mittelland Canal. Before the bridge, we turn left and follow a path parallel to the canal heading east. On the left extends a meadow area richly structured with shrubs. Birds of prey and deer are often observed here. A canal bridge, mainly serving agricultural traffic, offers a view of the newly expanded and widened Mittelland Canal. We continue along its northern side. After about eleven kilometers, we come to the Aller Canal siphon, which leads the water of the Aller Canal under the Mittelland Canal. From now on, we follow the Aller Canal and shortly reach the Drömlingsklause in Piplockenburg. Here you have the opportunity to refresh yourself for the rest of the route.

In the immediate vicinity, an extensive water area with several islands and large shallow-water zones stretches between the Mittelland Canal and the Aller Canal. An important resting place for cranes, geese, and ducks. This water body was created as a compensation measure as part of the canal expansion. Following the path northwards, after thirteen kilometers, we reach the information center of the nature park administration at Kämkerhorst. Only the entrance sign can be seen at the roadside. The building with its exhibition as well as the enchanting experiential and educational garden with its idyllic pond lie behind it. They offer extensive information about the landscape of the Drömling, its flora, and fauna.

The nature trail north of the Ohre leads through one of the most interesting nesting forests of the region. Old stands of oaks and birches dominate this forest area. Numerous display boards inform visitors about aspects of nature and species protection. During our trip, we follow the nature trail a short distance on the left. At the Ohre lock, memorial stones recall the Riedel brothers, who played a significant role in the great Drömling drainage and the associated landscape design.

At the fork in the path, we leave the nature trail turning right and ride straight ahead towards Mieste to the Friedrichskanal. Here, we turn left and follow the canal on an unpaved path to Lenz. From there, the Miesterhorst church tower is clearly visible on the left. We now use the very well-developed bike path along the B188 for about two kilometers back to the starting point of our route: Miesterhorst.

- Public bus service with bicycle transport

- Timetable information at: www.insa.de

- Train

https://fvv-mieste.de/

https://fvv-mieste.de/media/files/Flyer-Sumpfdotterblumentour.pdf