In the Schwalmbruch near Elmpte—Where moor frogs croak and wild horses neigh

In the final kilometers before it flows into the Maas, the 45-kilometer-long Schwalm—known as the Swalm in Dutch—is a wild river that meanders through riparian forests, remnants of bogs, and wet meadows. The Schwalmbruch Nature Reserve in the Maas-Schwalm-Nette Nature Park is a valuable habitat home to the strictly protected moor frog. During the mating season from March to April, the males of this small amphibian turn blue and croak so loudly they cannot be ignored.> At the Tackenbenden01 hiking parking lot, there are information boards showing the marked trails. We’ll combine the “Schwalmbruch Premium Hiking Trail” (PWS) with other routes. We start by following the PWS: We cross the Alte Zollstraße, turn left, and hike along a wide gravel path through the forest, then along the forest edge, following the bike path toward Herkenbosch, Netherlands.We leave the bike path and the PWS at hiking trail network junction 8402 near boundary stone no. 417. We walk along the Maas-Niederrheinpad (MNP) toward junction 80. As we do so, we walk about 1 km west along the German-Dutch border, cross it, and hike about 700 m north—initially on a tree-lined dirt road, and finally through the woods.We make a mental note of trail network junction 8003 —we’ll be passing by here again later. Now we turn left toward junction 79. After passing through a gate, we follow the small paved road De Lanck—where there’s a rest area—to the right. At a small parking lot in front of a bridge over the Schwalm River, we take the trail between the two information signs and are thus back on the PWS trail, whose markings we can use for orientation just as easily as the yellow-and-red ones. We hike through a sparse deciduous forest, first westward, then northward. We then pass through sandy fallow fields, where broom blooms between April and June, and across meadows where cattle graze contentedly. Gates ensure that the animals don’t tag along with us on our hike, so we close them again after passing through.A bench by the Schwalm04 is a perfect spot for a break before we continue southwest and then west—past the Houterhof to hiking trail junction 5505. Here we turn right, cross the Schwalm, and walk to junction 61. We follow the PWS signs and arrive at the Groenewoud Rehabilitation Clinic; next door is an affordable guesthouse for hikers (www.pensiongroenewoud.nl). Just beyond it, we branch off the wide path and follow the marked trails through the Schwalm Valley. After about 300 m, we come very close to the river; later, we hike at varying distances from the Schwalm as it meanders through riparian forest, just as a natural river should. At trail network junction 7706, we turn right toward junction 78, which is located at the well-known parking lot by the bridge. On the left side of the road, we slip through the wooden barrier. It prevents cyclists from riding on the footpath, along which we enjoy a leisurely stroll beside the Schwalm. At the well-known hiking trail junction 8003, we continue along the path and admire the excellent wood carvings. To see all the wooden figures, we take a loop through one of the most beautiful sections of the Schwalmbruch. At the stone marten and grass snake, we continue straight ahead following the arrows and cross the Schwalm. Immediately, we turn left. There’s a bench at the kingfisher. We continue clockwise, crossing a wooden footbridge and turning right at the picnic area marked with the bear07. At the buzzard carving, we turn right again (footbridge). Then we turn right once more to complete the loop. Now we follow the wide, marked trail (PWS). At hiking trail junction 8308, we turn right. We walk a short distance along the small paved road and turn left at the first opportunity onto a dirt road. We cross a small cattle gate to return to Germany and immediately leave the marked route, which follows the border southward: We turn left, hike along an unmarked path at the edge of a meadow, cross an often-dry ditch, and follow the wide path.At a T-intersection, we keep to the right (wooden post—green) and turn left at the first opportunity (no markings). At the sign that reads “Protected Area—No Entry,” we turn left again and hike northward along a stretch of heathland. At a small lake with rest benches (09), we come across markings again and follow the PWS to the right. Gradually, we enter the heart of the Schwalmbruch with its large wet meadows and ponds, where amphibians thrive. At the intersection in the Schwalmbruch10 (bench, map), we turn left and soon follow the river as it flows along in a straightened course. After about 800 m, we veer right, move away from the Schwalm, and continue straight ahead (PWS/blue). Around the Schwalmbruch11 observation tower, juniper heath stretches out—a dry habitat that stands in stark contrast to the large wet meadows we can see from the tower.We continue on and follow the PWS/Blue trail to the right, heading west along the southern edge of the heathland. At a shelter, we follow the sign for “Wasserblicke 0.1 km,” head north, and walk across the boardwalk at Pond12. Back at the shelter, we head toward “Trackenbenden 0.9 km.” So we keep to the right at the next opportunity. At a familiar intersection after about 600 m, we turn left toward the Tackenbenden01 hiking parking lot.