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Germany

North Rhine-Westphalia

Münster District

Ruhr Region

Historic Cobblestone Towpath Memorial

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Places to see

Germany

North Rhine-Westphalia

Münster District

Ruhr Region

Historic Cobblestone Towpath Memorial

Highlight (Segment) • Historical Site

Historic Cobblestone Towpath Memorial

Recommended by 178 hikers out of 201

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Location: Ruhr Region, Münster District, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

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Best Hiking Routes to Historic Cobblestone Towpath Memorial

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1. The River Ruhr – Essen-Steele railway bridge loop from Überruhr-Hinsel

7.87km

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Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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2. Wichteltal Goat Enclosure – The River Ruhr loop from Horst

3.58km

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Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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3. Dahlhausen Railway Bridge – Hydropower plant on the Ruhr loop from Essen-Steele Ost

11.4km

02:58

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Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

Tips

Julia

August 1, 2016

The historic, cobbled towpath had served as a towpath for workhorses since about 1780, pulling upstream racks (flat barges, which were usually used for coal transport) upstream. There is a risk of stumbling through bumps!

Translated by Google •

PeterH65 (a.k.a. "Waldorf")

December 20, 2019

>> towpath

The towpath can still be seen in many places in the Ruhr Valley on one or both banks of the Ruhr. In the past, several cold blood horses used to pull the Ruhr ships upstream. After the expansion of the middle Ruhr into a shipping route in the second half of the 18th century, the river was navigable to Witten in 1780. Until the beginning of railway construction, it became the most important transport route for coal, but also for other goods.

From today's perspective, the small ships, the "Ruhraaken", had a lifting capacity of around 150 tons. The upstream movement of the ships against the current was mostly time-consuming. The towpath occasionally changed banks, so that the draft horses had to be brought to the other side of the Ruhr again and again by boat. In the long run, this means of transport was no match for the more flexible railway. After its peak in 1850, shipping gradually declined and was finally discontinued in 1889.

The majority of the towpath routes that are still preserved today are paved and converted into walking and cycling trails. The original paving was left in only a few places. This also applies to the towpath directly at the former Holteyer harbor.

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🐐Zwei Bergziegen🐐

July 12, 2023

Paving of a towpath from a bygone era when horses pulled cargo ships upriver...

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Details

Informations

Distance 174 m

Uphill 10 m

Weather

Saturday 3 January

1°C

-2°C

8 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 15.0 km/h

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Location: Ruhr Region, Münster District, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

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Historic Cobblestone Towpath Memorial

1. The River Ruhr – Essen-Steele railway bridge loop from Überruhr-Hinsel

2. Wichteltal Goat Enclosure – The River Ruhr loop from Horst

3. Dahlhausen Railway Bridge – Hydropower plant on the Ruhr loop from Essen-Steele Ost

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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