Bauernbad Radelroute

The Bauernbad Radelroute is a 36 km circular route that leads from the bike-friendly town of Bünde via the tranquil resort of Randringhausen and Quernheim Abbey to Hüllhorst in the district of Minden-Lübbecke. The route opens the history book of the gently undulating Westphalian landscape and leads to the region's old country baths, past Romanesque churches, historic mills and museums.

The start and finish point of the Bauernbad Radelroute is the train station in Bünde, where you can also hire a bike or check the air pressure on your own bike at the local bike station. The Museum Island in Bünde provides the historical background for the route. From here, the route follows the Else river for a while, past the old bathing and lodging house, until it turns north towards Bünde-Spradow. The route now runs parallel to the Ostbachtal valley and leads via the farming village of Knolle to Randringhausen, which developed into a health resort thanks to its healing sulphur springs and moorland. Here, various cafés and the landscape park invite you to take your first break. From Randringhausen, it is only a few kilometers to Quernheim Abbey, where, in addition to the 12th century collegiate church, two 17th century abbey houses have been preserved. The so-called manor house is now home to the Ravensberg Biological Station.

At the end of Quernheim, you can visit the Rehmerloh Farmers' Baths Museum before the route continues north towards the Wiehengebirge. The terrain climbs steadily here, so you should have a certain level of fitness. A break at the Lusmühle sulphur baths or the Husenmühle watermill with its old half-timbered house comes in very handy. The route then leads via Niedringhausen and Oberbauerschaft for a few kilometers along the undulating foot of the mountains, where there are always wonderful views of the Ravensberg hills. At Oberbauerschaft, the steep ascent is worth a detour to the Kahle Wart open-air stage, where you will also find the local history museum in an old farmhouse that has been faithfully reconstructed. The route then leads back to Randringhausen via Klosterbauerschaft. After crossing the Ostbach stream, the route leads up to Bünde-Dünne and from here back down into the Gewinghauser Bachtal valley before finally reaching the outskirts of Bünde and the starting point at the train station.

As the circular route almost touches at Randringhausen, the tour can be divided into a northern loop of approx. 23 km and a southern loop of approx. 13 km if required. This creates a total of three circuits, which can appeal to different target groups due to their length and level of difficulty. The 13 km long, fairly flat southern loop is ideal for a leisurely tour with the family, while the northern loop offers a few sporting challenges. Randringhausen is also a suitable starting and finishing point for the individual loops, as there is ample parking available at the spa buildings.

The Bauernbad cycle route leads mainly along asphalted side roads and farm tracks, but also to a certain extent along roadside cycle paths alongside district and country roads. The relief is very pronounced in places and there are some steep inclines, especially at the foot of the Wiehengebirge. However, cyclists are offered an attractive, varied landscape that is criss-crossed by numerous stream valleys and woodland strips.

Further information on the route and the waypoints can be found at www.buende.de or on the cycle leisure website of the district of Herford: www.fahr-im-kreis.de. You can also download maps and a brochure free of charge from there.