Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Get the App

Routes

Bike touring routes & trails

Germany

North Rhine-Westphalia

Ruhr Region

Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis

Witten

Rheinischer Esel sculpture – Rheinischer Esel Rail Trail loop from Witten Annen-Nord

Routes

Bike touring routes & trails

Germany

North Rhine-Westphalia

Ruhr Region

Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis

Witten

Rheinischer Esel sculpture – Rheinischer Esel Rail Trail loop from Witten Annen-Nord

Moderate

4.6

(127)

402

riders

Rheinischer Esel sculpture – Rheinischer Esel Rail Trail loop from Witten Annen-Nord

01:36

25.3km

180m

Cycling

Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: July 11, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted

After 19.3 km for 326 m

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

687 m

Rheinischer Esel sculpture

Highlight • Monument

The Rhenish Donkey is the name of the railway line opened in 1880 between Dortmund-Löttringhausen and Bochum-Langendreer. Passenger services were discontinued in 1979. If you believe the numerous corresponding legends, …

Translated by Google •

Tip by

3.51 km

Rheinischer Esel Railway Bridge at Marienfriedhof Witten

Highlight • Bridge

The former "Rheinischer Esel" railway line, now developed as a comfortable cycle and pedestrian path, crosses the railway line 2801 Hagen - Witten - Dortmund HBF in a north-south direction …

Translated by Google •

Tip by

4.60 km

Rheinischer Esel Bridge Over the A44

Highlight (Segment) • Bridge

Bridge over the A44

Translated by Google •

Tip by

16.4 km

View of the Westerfilde Countryside

Highlight • Viewpoint

What could be nicer than letting yourself be rolled here.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

19.6 km

Rheinischer Esel Entry Kirchhörde

Highlight • Cycleway

Easy to miss entry point, but perfect for the quick way to Witten / Kemnader See

Translated by Google •

Tip by

20.2 km

Kruckeler Forest on the Rheinischer Esel

Highlight • Forest

The Kruckeler Forest is beautiful, but most of the routes are only accessible by mountain bike. So I had to reschedule my Kruckel tour a bit (see my profile). ;)

Translated by Google •

Tip by

20.8 km

View of Hombruch from Rheinischer Esel

Highlight • Viewpoint

The Rhenish donkey.😉

Translated by Google •

Tip by

21.4 km

Rheinischer Esel Rail Trail

Highlight • Cycleway

From railway donkey to bike

As early as the 1980s, a railway line cycle path was built on the eastern part. In 2012, the western section also became a cycle …

Translated by Google •

Tip by

25.3 km

End point

Train Station

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

8.00 km

6.43 km

5.31 km

4.85 km

678 m

Surfaces

17.9 km

4.04 km

2.02 km

1.31 km

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (150 m)

Lowest point (90 m)

Weather

Monday 13 July

29°C

18°C

38 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 18.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

May 11, 2024,Die epische Erniedrigung des Rheinischen Esel(s)

It was time. Ivan had to eat. What could be more natural than to devour the kilometers of the Rhenish donkey.

The starter was the fields of southern Dortmund, body parts of the women from Witten and the dust of the road.

Ivan animates!

Even the last folding bike rider 😬

Showing Translation

September 13, 2021,😜👍 Rheinischer Esel von der Quelle bis zur Mündung

Unfortunately, a bridge for the Rhenish donkey is still being built in Witten. It felt like 100 years.

Showing Translation

March 14, 2024,Rheinischer Esel - „Plauderrunde“

We chose this tour because it is right in the middle of our home and that of our friends. After a difficult search for a parking space (mostly 2 hours with a parking disc and residents' parking), we started in the Witten industrial area and drove straight to the "Rheinischer Esel". The railway line is easy to drive and allows …

Showing Translation

November 1, 2023,Witten / Runde Rheinischer Esel

We used today's public holiday in North Rhine-Westphalia for a small but nice meeting between Witten, Dortmund and Bochum. A railway cycle path with the unusual name “Rheinischer Esel” led us through the hilly landscape of the Ruhr area.

You can find out more about this highly recommended railway cycle path here ->

ruhrgebiet-industriekultur.de/rheinischer-esel

Showing Translation

January 12, 2025,Ersten Kilometer 2025 ❄️☃️

"ride through the forest in the snow, it's sure to be great" 😖 not really. Too steep downhill, then turned around because driving was out of the question. So we quickly changed our plans and at least drove a few kilometers in the new year.

Showing Translation

Want to know more?

Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Edit route

Download GPX

Move start point

Embed on a website

Report an Issue

Report restricted access

Nearby routes

Hard

4.8

7,211

From the Ruhr to the Ruhr – experience the Bergisch

03:36h

57.5km

460m

Easy

4.7

5,889

A taste of reality – experience the radrevier.ruhr in miniature

01:49h

30.0km

100m

Easy

4.7

5,744

Family bike tour around Lake Baldeney

01:19h

17.7km

90m

Easy

4.7

5,151

Adventure South Route

00:58h

16.5km

80m

Moderate

4.7

2,588

Railway history – experience the routes

03:32h

58.9km

360m

Moderate

4.5

1,613

Black gold – experiencing the path of coal

02:37h

41.9km

280m

Hard

4.6

1,251

Mine Tour – experience the mining industry

02:20h

38.8km

180m

Moderate

4.5

1,069

Railway Tour

02:30h

40.8km

220m

Moderate

4.8

968

Mesopotamia – experience the Lippe and Seseke rivers

02:58h

47.5km

140m

Moderate

4.7

832

Trade routes – experience horizons

02:41h

44.9km

270m

Hard

4.7

566

Balkantrasse von Wuppertal ins Rheintal – Auf Bahntrassen durchs Bergische Land

03:30h

58.9km

400m

Moderate

4.5

460

Colorful bag - experience the flair of the Ruhr region

04:01h

65.4km

320m

Rheinischer Esel sculpture – Rheinischer Esel Rail Trail loop from Witten Annen-Nord

Rheinischer Esel sculpture

Rheinischer Esel Railway Bridge at Marienfriedhof Witten

Rheinischer Esel Bridge Over the A44

View of the Westerfilde Countryside

Rheinischer Esel Entry Kirchhörde

Kruckeler Forest on the Rheinischer Esel

View of Hombruch from Rheinischer Esel

Rheinischer Esel Rail Trail

Nearby routes

Sign up or log in to keep exploring this route

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️