Best backpacking trails in Bourtanger Moor-Bargerveen Nature Park

The relatively new nature park is located between the districts of Emsland, Grafschaft Bentheim and the Dutch province of Drenthe and was founded in 2016. It covers 140 square kilometers.

Until it was cultivated in the mid-19th century, it was still a continuous raised bog, but it is now a mosaic of different landscapes: fields and pastures, sand, heath, moor and peat bloom in different colors depending on the season. Settlement, peat extraction and agricultural use have changed the region and offer visitors varied discovery tours in nature or cultural landscape. What they all have in common is the character of the moors, which is still present in places that have been heavily altered by humans: the vastness of the land, elongated settlements and canals.

In the eight moorland museums, such as the Emsland Moormuseum in Groß Hesepe or the Erdöl-Erdgas-Museum in Twist, you can find out about the history and characteristics of the nature park. There are also educational and adventure trails, which should particularly appeal to families with children. From the viewing platforms, you can gaze out over the surrounding area.