I have only two complaints about the Radroute der Megalithinkulur: first, it’s impossible to get lost. We tried. We took wrong turnings, went out along entrance paths and entered along exits, set off north when the guide unmistakably said, “Go south”. None of it worked. Even in the middle of deserted woodland, with no other person seen for two hours, cheerful signs showing a green bicycle popped out from behind trees to guide us back to the Radroute der Megalithkultur.
The exception is when you leave one cluster of stones to get to another. At this point, the designers of the Radroute fell asleep. After the tomb of the Groom of Visbek, a bridge over a motorway is followed by a terrifying stretch of plain road with the occasional lorry veering left to avoid you. Don’t do it. Take a short road north to Ahlhorn, or south to Visbek, and catch the train to Cloppenburg instead. And remember to buy an ordinary ticket in addition to a Fahrrad ticket, otherwise, like my partner, you will spend the entire journey trying to convince the ticket inspector that you’re a bicycle.
An impressively fit person can cycle 100km a day. A family with a 10-year-old should aim for 25km, expect rebellions at 30km and be happy with 20km. Pack plenty of water alongside your breakfast banditry, remember that more than four graves a day is adult entertainment, and on no account begin instructive reflections about the marvels of history after the 15th kilometre: follow these three, simple instructions and you will have a delightful time
“I’ve stopped cursing those bits of ice and now I’m blessing them,” said my daughter as we munched the last of our stale, squashed Gut Moorbeck sandwiches. Then she paused and added, “… slightly”.
Essentials
Alexander was a guest at Gut Moorbeck (0049 4433255; gut-moorbeck.de/) where family B&B rooms cost 190€ (£165) per night (minimum two-night stay) and single rooms 115€ (£100) per night, no minimum stay.
A map and further information for the Megaliythic Culture Bike Route can be found at all tourist information offices along the way. Bikes and e-bikes can be rented from numerous locations along the route.