#WunderFietspad

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A proposal for a 160 km / 100 miles cycleway connecting Bremen and Oldenburg via Bourtange with Groningen and Assen

Most political parties in Oldenburg (Lower Saxony) and Bremen (Bremen) are supporting the idea of a high quality, 40 km long fast cycleway between Bremen and Oldenburg. This idea, estimated to cost about €15 million was originally put forward by the local Green party, but has also become part of the local programme of the Conservative CDU party and received support by other parties in both Oldenburg and Bremen, as well as the cycling advocacy group ADFC.

We want local politicians to apply for EU funding, to extend the cycleway Bremen – Oldenburg into the Netherlands! 

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The Transrapid maglev train track is near the WunderFietspad

West of Oldenburg, along the B401 road, which goes largely alongside a coast-to-coast canal (“Küstenkanal”), there is already a cycleway, where cycling the 80 km distance between Oldenburg and the Dutch border near the historic moat of Bourtange is quick and safe (see route at http://iitm.be/526770746). At some sections of the Küstenkanal, it would be relatively easy to create a wider, quieter cycleway on the opposite side from the B401 road. This also allows constructing the WunderFietsPad in sections.

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WunderFietspad at Bourtange

On the Dutch side, Bourtange is connected to Assen (the 68,000-strong capital of the province of Drenthe) via Onstwedde with very good cycleways, as well as with Groningen. Groningen is Oldenburg’s Dutch twin town, the local ‘European Medical School Oldenburg-Groningen’ (EMS) is a cooperation between the ‘Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg’, the ‘Rijksuniversiteit Groningen’ and the ‘Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen’. Such a 160 kilometer / 100 miles long cycleway would be the perfect addition to the upcoming Wunderline rail link (Groningen – Winschoten – Leer – Oldenburg – Delmenhorst – Bremen). The WunderFietspad links three university cities across borders, would reduce car dependency, help to reduce air pollution and stimulate cross-border tourism in both countries.

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Aerial shot of Bourtange

As a active mobility addition to the Wunderline railway link, the WunderFietspad also links the green “Ems Cycle Route” and the popular “Weser Cycle Route”. The corresponding section of the #Eurovelo12 North Sea Cycle Route creates an attractive round route for Northwest Germany along the coast-to-coast canal, the Ems, North Sea Coast, Weser and Hunter river, with Oldenburg at its centre.

Would you like the Bremen–Oldenburg long-distance cycle route to be extended to Groningen? 

Then please support the „WunderFietspad“ on Oldenburg’s participation platform with your 👍. 

Here the five steps to submit your support in under three minutes:: 

  1. Click on this short link «https://iitm.be/fietspad» 
  2. Register under LOGIN (top right) 
  3. The city’s email arrives immediately (if not, it’s in your spam filter) – click on the link in the email to confirm 
  4. Click again on this short link «https://iitm.be/fietspad» and SIGN UP 
  5. To rate, please click on the thumbs up (it’s on the left hand side, just above KOMMENTARE). 

Oldenburg, in June 2021:

Klaas Brümann (not affiliated)

Holtzinger Str. 16, 26121 Oldenburg.

Tel. +49 4419205503

Email kilo(at)iitm.info


Also support the Fleiweg-underpass, please

For a new pedestrian and cycle underpass, which connects the Wechloy railway cycle path, east of the level crossing on Schützenweg directly with the human medicine laboratories at the Botanical Gardens, we ask for your support on Open Petition here: https://iitm.be/petition. The ADFC, the citizens’ initiative Rettet das Haarentorviertel, Verkehrswandel and the VCD-Oldenburg support closing this gap in Oldenburg’s cycleway network between the wards of Wechloy, Vahlenhorst and Dietrichsfeld with the Haareneschstraße cycleway, the Jade Applied Sciences University and the hospitals at Oldenburg’s the city center. 


Heini am Stau, a restaurant on the river Hunte

Rating: ***

Price performance: ok

 

Heini am Stau’ is located on a former industrial site in Oldenburg’s harbour, near the rolling bascule railway bridge. The restAnnaHunte_20160622_202243_HDRaurant and terrace offer views over the Hunte river and one of Lower Saxony’s busiest river ports. However, the area is rapidly turning residential and upmarket. ‘Heini am Stau’ replaces the former upmarket eco / slow-food restaurant ‘Anna Hunte’, which operated at this site from 2011 to 2016 and is much missed.

 

Service

On Thursday lunch, the two young waiters who attended us were polite, though at times a bit slow and confused.

 

Food

‘Heini am Stau’ scores with a large range of ales and beers, where ‘Anna Hunte’ used to attract custom with fresh, organic produce. The food is tasty but unexciting and not much different from the usual offering in Oldenburg.

 

Coffee

Unfortunately ‘Heini am Stau’ uses UHT milk for their Caffè Latte, which is in line with the restaurant’s food and for which I subtract a point.

 

Heini
Interior at Heini am Stau

Ambient

The modern interiors, large windows and views over the river make visits to this restaurant special. The place looks clean, modern and well maintained.

 

Price performance

Prices at Oldenburg’s restaurants tend to be fairly reasonable and so they are at ‘Heini am Stau’. For four light lunches and some soft drinks and coffee with two desserts we paid €52.40.
I may return to Heini’s terrace on a warm summer evening.

Restaurant on the Hunte river

Rating: *****

Price performance: good

AnnaHunte_Harbour_20160622_201221_HDRSince ‘Anna Hunte’ opened in 2011, many people in Oldenburg have recommended this restaurant to me. Unfortunately I never managed to visit it, until I was invited recently. ‘Anna Hunte’ is on a former industrial site in Oldenburg’s harbour, near the rolling bascule railway bridge. The restaurant and terrace offer nice views over the river Hunte and one of Lower Saxony’s busiest river ports. However, the area is rapidly turning residential and upmarket.

 

Service

The four young waiters who attended us were polite and knowledgable. The team left a good impression.

 

Food

AnnaHunte_LambCarre__20160622_191116_HDR‘Anna Hunte’ is one of Oldenburg’s pricier eateries (pricier in respect to Oldenburg, not Hamburg or London), offering a selected menu with an emphasis on fresh, organic produce. Some people may consider their portions small, but we were absolutely happy and satisfied with our mains, a Dorade, stuffed with herbs and vegetables and a Lamb Carré, slightly pink on the inside, with garden vegetables, cooked perfectly and still crunchy. We ordered both main courses with the also very recommendable “papas arrugadas”.

 

AnnaHunte_Dorade_20150626_124619_HDR‘Anna Hunte’ offers a good range of wines and a few draft beers.

 

Coffee

Extra kudos for the team using fresh, local milk for their Caffè Latte. This is entirely in line with the restaurant’s ethos for locally produced and organic ingredients, which many other restaurants overlook.

 

Ambiente

AnnaHunte_20160622_202243_HDRThe modern interiors, large windows and views over the river make visits to this restaurant special. The place looks clean, modern and well maintained.

 

On a warm evening in early summer, we sat on on the long terrace on comfortable wooden chairs, but with no upholstery or cushions.

 

Price performance

Prices at Oldenburg’s restaurants tend to be fairly reasonable. ‘Anna Hunte’ is one of the more expensive ones, but for people valuing quality, fresh food, this restaurant is certainly recommended.