GETTING THERE
Munster – 90km (1 hour 15min)
Dortmund – 100km (1 hour 30min)
Enschede (NL) – 30km (35 min)
You can start in the village of Zwillbroker, where is also visitor centre and parking lot “Zwillbrocker Venn Parkplatz), from here you would need to add 2km getting from/to the loop walk, so your loop would be 8km.
Optionally there is smaller parking lot “Rundweg Zwillbrocker Venn” right by the loop, so your loop would be 6km.
TRAIL NAVIGATION
The trail map is available outside the visitor centre or at the parking lots.
The navigation is fairly easy as you keep always to the right or to the left depending which way you are going. The trail does not have sign markings, but sometimes are are are poles showing “Rundweg”. It is not very difficult to follow.
Portions of the trail are shared with bicycles so take caution.
TRAIL DETAILS
The main attraction of this trail are flamingos. Every year flamingos come here for breeding. The best time to see them is in April and May. You can visit official website HERE where there are more details about the area, the flamingos and other information. People also log their observation, so you can check in advance if flamingos have been spotted recently.
There are couple of viewing points from where you can observe them, as well as many other birds. The trail takes you around small lake that has an island. The island is not accessible. The viewing points are also relatively far from the island, so it is best to have camera with very good lens and binoculars. We have visited in nesting season and all flamingos were on the island. It is possible that in other times, the flamingos spread more across the lake.
The trail itself is very flat and easy with solid ground all the way around. It might be muddy after rain. Some parts of it are shared with bikes so you need to watch out. The trail goes through forrest, farmlands and swamps. Mosquito repellent is necessary, especially if you wish to make stops for rest or photos.
Only small portion of the trail is right along the lake, majority is slightly further with no visibility on the lake. The trail is still enjoyable, but if you are only coming for flamingos, you might want to skip it.
Tree coverage: Majority of the trail is under trees, so good shade in sunny weather.
Geocaching: There are no geocaches on the trail, only two in the village. There are some Adventure labs along the trail (sequential) .
Dogs: It is possible to do this route with your dog. Must be on leash.
FACILITIES
There is small visitor centre “Remise am Zwillbrocker Venn” with toilets right on the trail, right by the biggest viewing point and close to the small parking lot. You can also purchase souvenirs, ice cream or drinks. Village of Zwillbrocker has likely more facilities, but I have not visited.
I completed this trail in May 2024 on Saturday. It was very busy. Mild weather, slightly sunny, around 20 degrees, minimal wind.
