by Carol Naidu from India,

(Starting point)…..🚲………Dortmund main station ➡️ Nordstadt ➡️Fredenbaumpark ➡️ Harbour➡️Ems Canal ➡️ Henrichenburg➡️ (first break)🍎 at   New Shift lift and the exhibition about the new ship lift➡️ Ems Canal ➡️ (lunch) at 🥘 Pferdestall Restaurant Zeche Zollern➡️ Zeche Zollern ➡️ Dortmund ➡️ Dika’s school ➡️ Dortmund main station…. (Ending point) 50 km

As you all know the volunteers house is filled with lots of fun and adventures. On 1/3/2020, we had our bicycle tour, together we were 8 people (Frauke, Dirk, Christina, Carolin, Rachel, Dika, Josephat and me). We packed some healthy snacks and fruits, 3 days before our tour. We all met at Dortmund main station at 11 am. We hired 6 Electronic bikes from Dobeq Bicycle station, which was near the main station. Carolin and Dirk already had their own E bike. So, as soon as we all got our E bikes, we wore our helmets and we were all set to ride our bikes. We started our journey at 11:30 from Hauptbahnhof Dortmund which is the main railway station in Dortmund. While we were riding our bikes, we passed through Nordstadt (area in Dortmund), then we passed through Fredenbaumpark (it’s a park in Dortmund), then we went to Hafen which means Harbour, this harbour is the beginning of the Dortmund-Ems canal, a 269 km long canal starting at the inland port of the city of Dortmund and ending in the seaport of Emden.

While we were riding our bikes alongside the Ems canal, we passed a very famous rowing club, we saw people who rowed various championships and even won which includes Olympic. They were practicing for their tournament. Frauke told me that these people have their boathouses near the club and they do their training in this Canal. She also told me that these people are really very famous, I was really amazed after hearing this statement, I also got goosebumps when I saw them practicing. We continued riding our bikes alongside the canal up to Henrichenburg. In Henrichenburg we saw the Schiffshebewerk which means ship lift, we made our first break near the 3rd ship lift, we all ate healthy fruits, cookies, etc.

There are 3 shiplifts;

  • The first ship lift was opened more than 100 years ago by the German emperor in the former times, he opened it and there was a very huge inauguration ceremony. Near this ship lift there was a museum as well. After sometime people who worked in this ship lift realized that this ship lift is very small and slow, in fact ships were getting bigger and bigger, day by day and hence they had to build the second ship lift
  • Even the second ship lift didn’t work out well and hence they had to build the third ship lift. First and second ship lifts are very old and no more used and hence it is used as a museum now. We passed by the second ship lift as well.
  • The third ship lift is very modern and new. Near this ship lift there was an exhibition, in which we entered. In this exhibition they explained us about the new lift ship lift, its functions, how it works, they even used maps while explaining us the procedure of the third ship lift. This is the only ship lift which is in use and it lifts the ships up and down, from one canal to another.

Then we continued our journey along side the Ems canal till the time when we reached Zeche Zollern. The area and buildings in Zeche Zollern belong to a former of coal mine. Usually when people enter here, they rightly expect to see the dust-blackened remnants of hard industry. But a surprise awaits at Zollern Colliery in Dortmund. Then we had our lunch in Pferdestall restaurant Zeche Zollern, even this restaurant come under this area of Zollern.

This Restaurant where we had our lunch was a former stable where the horses were kept to draw the carts filled with coals and even for the transportation of coals, underneath in the mines. In former times, in the very beginning, there was these small carts, these carts were filled with coals and then horses used to carry them. After having our delicious lunch, we explored a bit, nearby areas. We took our group picture in front of the machine hall, before taking the picture, we all went inside, we saw the washing room/changing room of the former coal workers. It was really very beautiful; we all were running out of time as it was almost 2 pm so we decided to continue our journey again as we all wanted to reach back to Dortmund. Dirk didn’t join us after lunch as his house was nearby and we needed more than 10 km to reach Dortmund. We were excited to complete what we started and then we came back to Dortmund. After reaching the centre of Dortmund we all decided to visiting Dika’s working place, he works in a school (Kreuzschule). After visiting his work place we came back to Dortmund main station.

So, this is how we ended our amazing bike ride, we surely broke our own records, the happiness which we all got after completing 50 kms was inexpressible. Please let me know, how did you like our bicycle tour and if you have ever done something like this in your life, please let me know.