In the Lower Rhine border region, which separates Germany from the Netherlands, various goods such as coffee, tea, tobacco, spices, and livestock were smuggled illegally across the border in the 19th and 20th centuries. Customs officers patrolled here day and night to catch criminals in the act. Today, on the green areas, meadows, and fields, a roughly 2.6-kilometer-long obstacle course with climbing, balancing, and play elements awaits to be overcome.
At 26 experience stations, young border crossers take over the transport of goods themselves, build a bridge from tree trunks over a water ditch, or create a smuggler's hideout. This adventure trail is exciting precisely because it thematically incorporates historical elements and playfully integrates them into the circular route. For example, children and adults can learn that smuggling around the cities of Venlo and Arcen began in 1818 with the introduction of a customs law, and the vast forests were ideally suited for avoiding nearby customs stations.
The associated quiz also establishes thematic connections: "You come across a feeling box again. Sometimes smugglers hang their things in a box in a tree. If you find such a box, you note what is inside and what number or letter is on the box," is one of the tasks to be mastered. Others deal with the local flora and fauna. Additionally, several colorful owls have been designed to guide visitors in the right direction.
