Rühen: Rundling History and Routes in the Drömling

Rühen combines a distinctive village history with routes that explore the Drömling from different perspectives. A Wendish Rundling village and a walking loop with information stations sit alongside the Drömling circular route for cyclists. If you are looking for accommodation, you can first consider whether the village’s history, a themed walking tour or cycling should be your main focus.

Rundling Village and Border History

Rühen developed as a Wendish Rundling village in the 12th century. A clearly recognizable Rundling has survived in the southern part of the village. The settlement form makes the village itself a tangible part of its history: rather than looking only at individual historical dates, you can also explore the village’s distinctive layout.

Another, much later chapter in the village’s history began after the Second World War. Until German reunification, Rühen served as a border checkpoint and customs port for freight traffic through the GDR to Berlin. The village’s history therefore encompasses both its development as a Wendish Rundling village and its later role in the transport of goods to Berlin.

The Drömling and Its Routes

The historical use of the landscape is also part of Rühen’s history: the Drömling provided Rühen’s farmers with wood and pastureland. The landscape is also the focus of various routes. The Drömling circular route runs through the southern and northern Drömling; in the Lower Saxony section, the cycling route passes through many nature reserves.

On Foot or by Bike

For a walk, the Drömling nature trail offers a specific option: the loop is 6.71 kilometres long and rated very easy. At seven stations, visitors learn about the transformation from a natural landscape into a cultural landscape. The route thus combines a specific distance with the theme of how landscapes change. The start and finish are east of Rühen on the B244; parking is available for the route.

The Drömling circular route is a cycling route with its own start and finish point: both are at Oebisfelder Straße 100 in Rühen. The route runs through the southern and northern Drömling and, in the Lower Saxony section, through many nature reserves. The two tours therefore differ both in how you travel and in their stated focus: the nature trail explains the transformation of the landscape at seven stations, while the cycling route crosses both parts of the Drömling.

For orientation, the municipality’s official map can show cycling and walking routes. This offers a way to follow the routes shown on the map and plan your own tour around the respective starting points.

The Wider Region: Gifhorn

The wider destination of Gifhorn district encompasses heathland, forests, moorland, rivers and lakes. The district of Gifhorn is also home to the Drömling UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This variety of landscapes broadens the view beyond the individual routes in Rühen without equating the village’s distinctive features with those of other parts of the district.

Around 700 kilometres of recreational cycling routes are designated in Gifhorn district. In addition, there are around 550 kilometres of everyday cycling network, including connecting routes. Around 400 signposted cycling junctions can be combined to plan individual routes.

Discover more destinations: Steinhorst, Tappenbeck, Isenbüttel, Groß Oesingen, Weyhausen, Wesendorf, Brechtorf, Hagen

Back to the main travel overview: Gifhorn.