Discover Mettingen

Mettingen combines outdoor activities with a close look at the history of its schools and trade. Seven circular walking trails, a forest marble run and museums covering rural village schools, flax cultivation and the linen trade offer a variety of highlights. This lets you include active experiences and cultural interests in your travel plans without centring everything on a single theme.

Walking trails, water and forest

You can explore Mettingen on seven circular walking trails, ranging from 7 to 12 km in length. The different distances give you a practical basis for planning: choose a route that fits the length of time you have that day. Check current trail conditions locally before setting out.

In 2012, Mettingen built a Kneipp facility fed by spring water in the Köllbachtal valley, near the centre. It offers a different focus from the walking trails, with Kneipp treatments and spring water at its heart. Also in the Köllbachtal, in the middle of the forest, is the forest marble run. Wooden balls roll along it through obstacles, sharp bends and other features. At around 120 metres long, it is on a completely different scale from the walking trails, which stretch for kilometres.

School life and the linen trade

Mettingen School Museum was established in 1998 in the former stable building of the restored Schultenhof farm. It aims to preserve the memory of the small rural village schools and everyday school life there. The Tüötten Museum explores flax cultivation and processing, as well as the customs of linen merchants. Together, the subjects range from everyday rural school life to the journey from flax to the linen trade.

Cycling information

Mettingen has two free e-bike charging stations: one at the barn at Schultenhof, Burgstraße 9, and one in front of the police station at Markt 6. A repair kit is also available at the station at Markt. As station availability may change, it is best to check before your bike tour.

A wider view of the destination of Steinfurt

Steinfurt district has 116 nature reserves covering a total of around 13,231 hectares, as well as 78 landscape conservation areas covering around 27,774 hectares. These area figures may change as new designations are made. They describe the natural landscape at district level and complement the specific route information for Mettingen with a broader perspective. The region’s attractions also include a parkland landscape, manor houses, moated castles, monasteries and castles.

Route lengths also help put the region’s cycling options into perspective. Officially opened in 2023, the approximately 62-kilometre Triangel is Steinfurt district’s first cycle expressway and offers fast, safe and comfortable cycle routes. The EmsRadweg runs for around 60 kilometres through the district; its route information may be updated. The two routes are therefore of a similar length, but offer different experiences.

When choosing your accommodation, you could first consider what you want your stay to focus on: Mettingen’s walking trails, forest marble run and museums, or a broader exploration of the wider destination of Steinfurt. This gives your search direction based on the experiences you would like to include in your plans.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Lienen, Nordwalde, Steinfurt, Saerbeck, Ochtrup, Wettringen, Ibbenbüren, Horstmar.

Go to the regional travel overview: Steinfurt.