Route
Places of interest
· Osnabrück, City Hall of the Peace of Westphalia
· Porta Westfalica, Emperor Wilhelm Monument
· Goslar, imperial palace
· Wernigerode, half-timbered town
· Dessau, Bauhaus
· Potsdam, Sanssouci Palace
· Berlin, Brandenburg Gate
Starting Point
After the start of the E11 in the Netherlands at Scheveningen (district of The Hague), after 358 km it crosses the border in Losser (NL) and Gildehaus (D).
End Point
At Frankfurt (Oder), the E11 reaches the border with Poland.
Which cities and towns does the E-path pass through
Bad Bentheim – Osnabrück – Porta Westfalica – Hameln – Alfeld (Leine) – Bad Gandersheim – Seesen – Goslar – Bad Harzburg – Wernigerode – Blankenburg – Thale – Eisleben – Halle (Saale) – Dessau – Potsdam – Berlin – Frankfurt (Oder).
Length
1.008 km
Ground path of the E-path
- Trade route (Töddenweg) from the border with the NL in Gildehaus to Osnabrück (128 km)
- Wittekindsweg from Osnabrück to Porta Westfalica (96 km)
- Weserbergland Trail (www.weserberglandweg.de) from Porta Westfalica to Hamelin (60 km)
- Ith-Hils-Weg (www.ith-hils-weg.de) from Hameln to Alfeld (Leine) (approx. 50 km)
- In the Harz Mountains, the E11 runs along the excellent network of paths of the Harz Club.
Responsible organisations
Wiehengebirgsverband Weser-Ems e. V.
Rolandsmauer 23a
49074 Osnabrück
Telephone: 0541 / 29771
Mail: wgv-weser-ems@t-online.de
Web
Hannoverscher Wander- und Gebirgsverein e. V.
PO Box 2512
30025 Hanover
Telephone: 0511 / 562321
Mail: auskunft@wandernhannover.de
Web
Harzklub e. V.
Bahnhofstraße 5A
38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld
Phone: 05323 / 81758
Mail: info@harzklub.de
Web: www.harzklub.de
Further east in the new federal states, the districts are responsible for routing.
Publications
- The hiking guides “Handelsweg” and “Wittekindsweg” are available from the Wiehengebirgsverband Weser-Ems e.V.. They cover the area between the Dutch border and Porta Westfalica.
- Rother, Norbert (2007): Europäischer Fernwanderweg E11 – Durch das norddeutsche Mittelgebirge, Publisher: fernwege.de, Roxheim, ISBN: 9783937304809
- Via www.fernwege.de/einkauf/wanderfuehrer/e11, hiking maps are available for the E11 between Porta Westfalica and Halle (Saale) on 16 stages:
- 1st stage – 7th stage (partial – Coppenbrügge is not on the map. Map ends in the middle between Alfeld and Bad Gandersheim.
Weserbergland Map II – Northern Part - 9th stage – 14th stage
TK50, Hiking in the Harz Mountains - 15th stage
Compass 453, Eastern Harz Mountains - 16th stage – 17th stage
Compass 458, Lower Saale Valley
Marking system
The trade route (Töddenweg) is marked with a “T” from the Dutch border to Osnabrück town hall.
Wittekindsweg
Weserbergland Trail
Ith-Hils-Weg
Between Alfeld (Leine) and Goslar the waymarking is patchy.
In the Harz Mountains, the E11 runs along the excellent network of paths of the Harz Club.
Further east, trail markings become less frequent again.
Crossing other E-paths
· The E1 runs together with the E11 from Hohe Egge (approx. 5 km southwest of Bad Münder) to Hameln.
· The E6 crosses the E11 in Goslar.
Accommodation
You will find inns, guesthouses and pensions at least every 20 – 30 km. There are no self-supporting huts on the trail. Camping is only permitted at official campsites.
Food
In some decentralized villages you will no longer find any grocery shops. It is therefore recommended to buy packed lunches from the breakfast buffet from your host. Usually, you have the possibility to get hot food once a day.
Travel
In northern Germany you will mainly rely on buses. Regularly scheduled railway lines are also available.
Hitchhiking is legal everywhere except on motorways.
Gear
Apart from flatter sections to the west and east of the Harz Mountains, the E11 often runs along forested low mountain trails. Steep sections are rare. Weatherproof hiking gear is sufficient.
Josef Räkers, Baumberge-Verein e.V., www.baumberge-verein.de