Many cyclists have already ridden this wonderfully romantic route from Ostrhauderfehn along the Hauptfehn Canal to get to Holterfehn or Holte, to go to the bird sanctuary on the Leda, or just to take a short gondola ride around Ostrhauderfehn. But only a few are aware of the historical dimension of this water-technical building.
The fact is that the 7.1 kilometer long main Fehn Canal was finally completed in 1781 for an immense 33,000 Reichstaler. 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.
Now that you know, we can start again with the next tour along the main Fehn Canal. I wish you a lot of fun in southern East Frisia.