"Following in the footsteps of Jan Klein" - Guided cycling tour on the East Frisia hiking trail

Where once the steam locomotive puffed, we now enjoy the idyll: Follow us along the former railway bed of the legendary narrow-gauge railway Ihrhove–Westrhauderfehn. Experience a journey through time in the Overledingerland, filled with history, nature, and authentic East Frisian cuisine. Our tour guide and our cycling scouts will welcome us at the former Westrhauderfehn station, now the bus station, and the operations building of the transport company of the district of Leer. We will then ride along the East Frisian hiking trail to Rhaude, to the Music Café Marienheil, where we will learn a lot about the history of the former narrow-gauge railway and its impact on the surrounding communities during a tea and cake table presentation.

On our way, we will briefly leave the hiking trail to visit the mill in Collinghorst, which was rebuilt in 1945 and is now a mill with agricultural trading. The mill still has two grinding stones in operation, where grain is processed into flour and grist in the traditional way. After that, we can admire the replica of the ticket booth and the restored track layout at the former station. Right next to it awaits a green gem! In the nature trail, we can discover the original East Frisian nature, wetland biotopes, a willow tunnel, and a large insect hotel.

At the former terminus of the railway in Ihrhove, a delicious meal (fried potatoes with tender herring) awaits us at the village inn. Afterward, we make our way back and leave the hiking trail in Glansdorf. We then travel through Collinghorst, Schatteburg, Holte, and Rhaude to Rhaudermoor, turning onto Neuen Weg and then onto Batzenweg. There, we will visit the organic farm of the Freese family. We will learn a lot about the farm and visit the nearby fields and animal husbandry, as well as take a tour through the greenhouses and fruit crops. The visit will conclude with an open and sociable discussion round over a small snack.