Wooldse Veen Nature Reserve

Burlo-Varterholter Venn

In the middle of Varterholter Venn near Burlo, you will not only find high moors. Located right on the Dutch border you will find here and there very old landmarks that formerly formed the Kommiesenpatt (Low German Zöllnerpfad). These boundary stones "Fürstensteine" from Bentheimer sandstone carry on Münsterland side the prince-bishop coat of arms and on the Dutch side the Geldersche lion coat of arms as well as the year 1766.Nicht in former times coffee, tea, tobacco and cheese or even live cattle were traded in the small illegally border traffic.

Not infrequently you had to count on the border crossing so that strict customs officers searched a citizen for various "souvenirs". Today in 2017, this kind of "cheap" shopping is outdated. Gladly, however, is told in a cozy round about the adventures with the customs officers, about the tricks of the smugglers and some nifty hiding. From the Entenschlatt, led me the way through an exciting moorland along small smuggler trails, to the old rails that once rail passenger traffic between Borken and Burlo. Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck via Borken to Winterswijk was the name of the former route, which ended in 1961, however.

A very tedious but exciting MTB tour, around and in the Varterholter Venn

Good balance exercise on the circuit, by bike.

A beautiful Venn. A real tip.