Greven offers several ways to shape your stay: cycling, hiking and paddling on the Ems are among the local activities. There are also trails through a sandy landscape of dunes and heathland, river meadows, historic farmsteads and cultural sites. You can focus on activity, nature or local history, and combine themes to suit your interests.
Cycling, hiking trails and the Ems
Greven has a dense, well-signposted network of cycle paths through the Ems meadows and parkland, suitable for day trips and longer rides. About 25 kilometres of the Ems Cycle Route run through the municipal area of Greven. Check the route details before setting off if you plan to include the Ems Cycle Route in your trip.
On foot, marked hiking trails in the Bockholter Berge nature reserve wind through oak and pine forests in a sandy landscape of dunes and heathland. The Ems meadows offer a different kind of nature experience: they are Greven’s largest nature reserve and provide food and breeding grounds for numerous animal and bird species, including species considered worthy of protection. The two areas therefore offer different experiences of nature: the marked trails and woodland of the Bockholter Berge, and the habitat function of the Ems meadows.
You can also experience the Ems from the water. Canoe tours between Telgte and Greven follow a largely natural stretch of river through meadows, fields, pastures and woodland. Cycling, hiking and paddling offer different ways to explore the landscape, without requiring the same kind of trip.
Local history and life in earlier times
Der Hoek is Greven’s oldest surviving district. It was established in the 17th century as an extension of the settlement and preserves typical houses once occupied by farming townspeople. For those interested in how the town developed, it offers a different perspective on Greven from its nature trails and riverside landscapes.
The Sachsenhof open-air museum in Greven-Pentrup reconstructs an early medieval Saxon farmstead dating back around 1,200 years. Experimental cultivation of crops and arable weeds typical of the period complements the reconstruction. The Sachsenhof is open to visitors at all times, and admission is free. Nevertheless, check visitor arrangements before travelling there.
The Averkamp farm museum on the edge of Gimbte displays a collection of historic equipment and tools and offers insight into rural life in earlier times. By contrast, the Sachsenhof focuses on an early medieval farmstead and crop-growing experiments: the two sites offer different ways to explore rural history.
Cultural sites and a shorter route
The Grevener Baumwollspinnerei (GBS) is located on the site of a former mill. The cultural centre includes a renovated bale warehouse, which houses a music school, an adult education centre and a youth café. The Kunstturm is home to the art association and regularly hosts exhibitions. These cultural sites complement the historic farmsteads and outdoor activities with contemporary culture.
The Emsdeich Sculpture Trail between Greven’s Ems bridges is 2.5 kilometres long. By comparison, the approximately 25 kilometres of the Ems Cycle Route refer to its stretch through the municipal area. These figures represent different route scales: the length of a specific trail and the section of a cycle route within Greven.
When choosing what to do, you can start by deciding what you want to focus on: longer bike rides, trails through natural areas, paddling on the Ems, or local and cultural history. Greven offers these themes in different forms; your plans will depend on which ones you want to shape your stay.
Discover more destinations: Hopsten, Saerbeck, Ochtrup, Lienen, Hörstel, Mettingen, Altenberge, Recke.
Go to the main travel guide: Steinfurt.
