General information about the Dortmund-Ems Canal (DEK) and DEK Cycle Path
The DEK runs between the Dortmund city harbor and Papenburg through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, past the "Henrichenburg" ship lift and the larger cities of Münster, Rheine, Lingen and Meppen. It was opened in 1899 and is about 225 kilometers long. The difference in altitude is about 70 meters, there are three river crossings - Lippe, Stever and Ems. The canal can be crossed via numerous bridges. There are always rest areas and small city ports along the canal. The Dortmund-Ems-Kanal-Radweg mostly runs directly along the canal or later along the Ems and is approx. 350 kilometers long. It connects the Ruhr area with the North Sea coast (Emden) and was opened in 1999. Along the canal, it has almost no gradients, with the exception of a few interruptions, e.g. due to power plants. The path is mostly gravel and partly tarred so that it can also be used well in rainy weather. Due to the numerous stop and overnight options, it is very well suited for both a day trip and a multi-day tour.