"City, country, river" in Rheine - Hermannshöhen tour tip 01

The route (H) starts at the office of the Rheine Tourist Office and first leads to the market square, which is dominated by the late Gothic St. Dionysius Church. A ring of town houses, some of which are reminiscent of the time of the Thirty Years' War, gives the market a closed, parlor-like character. On the way there, down to the banks of the Ems, several restaurants and the weekly market on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays invite you to linger.

From the market square, follow hiking trail X 18 along the Ems into the Bentlage recreational area. A unique cultural landscape with a triad of forests, meadows and fields awaits you there. You will encounter the important role of salt for the region at the "Gottesgabe" salt works. The graduation towers overlooking the salt works park invite you to take a short detour to the historic salt works. An overview board on the "Maschinenhaus" opposite the salt works canal provides an overview of the building ensemble of the former salt works. In the summer months, the tourist information office in the Salinenpark's three-gabled house provides information about the "Bentlager Dreiklang", the "Gottesgabe" salt works, Rheine Nature Zoo and Bentlage Monastery.

In Rheine Nature Zoo, you can experience the animals up close in their natural habitats, e.g. in the stork reserve. For example, in the stork reserve, with 100 free-flying white storks, or in Germany's first monkey forest, with the Barbary apes living freely there.

From the exit of the Salinenpark at the Salinen Canal, you can continue along the X-Weg to Bentlage Monastery. Founded in 1437, the monastery was secularized in 1803 and, following its restoration, is considered to be the best-preserved Gothic convent building of a rural monastery in Westphalia. A tour brings the 500-year history of the monastery to life. The Bentlage Monastery Museum focuses on the history of the Kreuzherren in Bentlage. The highlights of the exhibition are two late medieval reliquaries, unique in Europe.

A charming riverside path takes you through the Bentlage forest to a road bridge over the Ems. Cross the Ems on this bridge and branch off from the X 18 at the eastern bridgehead to the banks of the Ems. From there, follow the path along the eastern bank of the Ems back to the city center. A detour to the Transfer Center for Applied Technologies (TAT) near the railroad bridge or to the signposted Walshagenpark is well worthwhile. The building of the former Kümpers spinning mill on the banks of the Ems is a reminder of the city's textile history. Finally, the two hand-operated locks and the lock canal between them are a reminder of the historical importance of Ems shipping and the opportunities for water sports on the Ems today.