German-Dutch border gravel around the Meinweg and the Elmpter Forest

The route starts at the parking lot behind Herberg De Bos east of Swalmen (near the border with Germany). The area is a beautiful gravel area where you can graze endlessly without large crowds. 67.1% of the route consists of dirt roads (almost exclusively gravel roads) and you follow it clockwise. In the following description you will find an overview of all gravel strips and their length.

You cycle directly on gravel roads through the urban forests of Swalmen and along the Meerlebroek nature reserve. Then you cross the border and get long gravel roads through the Brachterwald and the Diergardtscher Wald. There are also three climbs in this part, the first of which is very steep (16-20%). Then you cross the main road Swalmen-Brüggen (be careful when leaving the Diergardtscher Wald, you may have to bypass a barrier!) and follow the cycle path along this road for a short time. This is followed by a lot of gravel fun around the varied Elmpter Schwalmbruch: forests, heathland, gravel along the river Swalm and a climb that leaves the nature reserve.

This is followed by several kilometers of asphalt roads, including through Elmpt. But behind Elmpt there are gravel roads through the Meinweg forest. Afterwards you cycle on paved roads through Dahlheim and cycle on gravel road along the beautifully situated (and bustling restaurants of) the Dahlheimer Mühle. Then you will enter the Netherlands again and follow long gravel roads (Hooibaan) and gravel bike paths through National Park De Meinweg. On the gravel bike paths you will encounter recreational cycling. Again, a bit of incline, namely over the first and second steep edges, the second of which has a gradient of 10% for a short time.

Via Zandbergen you go on gravel roads (which can be slightly sandy over a distance of half a kilometre) to Melickerven and cycle along the Lüsekamp nature reserve. You are now back in Germany and cycle through the Elmpter Forest with two steeper short climbs. The long gravel road here is a bit rocky. You cross the A52 on asphalt roads, but then you continue on gravel through the Elmpter Forest with three gravel descents and a gravel climb along a beautifully situated dry valley.

Then you re-enter the Netherlands (beware: you have to go through a gate) and you only get a few short gravel roads around the river Swalm.

Gravel strips and their length in kilometers:
2.0 Swalmen Municipal Forests
3.0 Meerlebroek
7.4 Brachterwald/Diergardtscher Wald
0.8 Tackenbenden
4.6 Elmpter Schwalmbruch
1.2 Rurheide
0.2 Side road Lamertzweg
3.6 Forst Meinweg
0.3 Dahlheimer Mühle
7.6 NP Meinweg
1.2 NP Meinweg Part 2 (Note: partially passable forest road)
1.2 Mountains of sand
2.7 Lüsekamp
3.0 Elmpter Wald
5.8 Elmpter Wald Teil 2
0.2 Damian Lager
0.3 Swalm Valley
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45.1 km (= 67.1%) unpaved