River Berkel – connecting Muensterland and Achterhoek

The headwaters of the Berkel are in the area of Billerbeck on the western edge of the Baumberge hills.  It meanders westwards through Muensterlaender Bay for about 114 km, passing through the towns of Billerbeck, Coesfeld, Gescher, Stadtlohn and Vreden before it reaches the Netherlands. There the Berkel, now a proper river, flows through Eibergen, Borkulo and Lochem to Zutphen and then into the Ijssel river. 

Between Billerbeck and Zutphen, the Berkel drops an altitude of 105 metres, 80 metres of which is in Germany between the Baumberge hills and the border near Vreden. Over centuries dams have been built in several places, allowing to generate a wide range of energy from hydropower.

There used to be trade routes connecting villages along the Berkel, also across the border. Until the second half of the 18^th century, the Berkel was navigable from Coesfeld. Rafts and flat-bottomed boats called "Berkelzompen" were used to transport food, pottery, wooden items, sandstone and other materials. On the German side, navigation often came to a standstill due to frequent times of low water and lack of maintenance of the locks in Vreden, Stadtlohn and Gescher.

On the Dutch side, commercial shipping continued in many places until the end of the 19^th century and today, boating for tourists is going strongly. Historical replicas of the boats are used for this in Eibergen, Borculo, Lochem and Almen.

On the German side, the Berkel winds its way through the landscape, whereas the Dutch straightened the river and introduced water management. The river looks more like a canal in some places, where the original watercourse is hardly visible. Now, efforts are being made to restore sections of the Berkel and the surrounding Berkelaue floodplains to its former natural state. This has been successfully implemented between Almen and Zutphen and also in Recken in compliance with the European directives for the restoration of running waters.

On the German side, almost 40 km of the Berkel floodplain has been declared a high-level protected area under the European nature conservation directive (flora fauna habitat).

Tourism along the Berkel - nature and places of interest on both sides of the border           

Until a few years ago, tourism in Muensterland mainly focused on typical sights such as museums, castles, churches and historic town centres. Today, the manifold natural landscapes awake more and more interest, including fens and moorland, quarries, rivers and lakes. This also holds true for tourism along the Berkel river, especially the cycle route from Billerbeck to Zutphen in the Netherlands. This cross-border route has a length of about 130 km and was officially opened in 2011.

There is not only the river with its varied banks and zones of wetland, but also towns and villages on both sides which offer numerous highlights along the way. Take, for instance, the tranquil town centre of Billerbeck with its Ludgerus Cathedral, visible from afar, the Walkenbrücker Gate in Coesfeld or the bell town of Gescher with its museums. Tourists also love to visit Stadtlohn as the town of pottery and Vreden with its new museum "Kult" and its museum of local history.

The Dutch towns of Eibergen, Borculo, Lochem and Zutphen have medieval centres, museums, imposing churches and town fortifications. The remains of the Berkel gate in Zutphen is only one out of many attractions and there are many more interesting sights and facts to be enjoyed on both sides of the border.

Another great experience offered at several places in the Netherlands are river tours on replicas of former Berkelzomp boats.

Have you met “Bathing Anni” yet? She is the best-known figure along river Berkel. The cheerful lady in a red bathing costume has been placed in all German towns along the Berkel from 2015 onwards and some Dutch communities have followed suit. So now, the little statue can be found at prominent places along the banks of the Berkel.