The Podagristenpad, an 80 km long-distance route that follows in the footsteps of three early “adventure hikers” from 1843.
On a rainy summer day in 1843, three men from Coevorden set out on a three-day journey across the Grafschaft Bentheim region. At the time, traveling purely out of curiosity and a desire to explore was highly unusual—especially when it meant crossing three national borders (the Kingdoms of the Netherlands, Hanover, and Prussia). Later that same year, they published a lively travel account that still holds cultural and historical significance in the region today.
Along the way, the trio documented their observations with a sharp eye and a touch of irony: the condition of the roads, the quality of inns, and the character of the towns, landscapes, and people they encountered. They noted cultural differences between Bentheim and the Netherlands, wrote about local traditions such as shooting guilds in Neuenhaus, the working conditions of stonecutters, gambling in Bad Bentheim, and even the castle dungeon.
The name “Podagristen” comes from podagra (Greek for gout), referencing the sulfur baths in Bad Bentheim, believed to cure the condition. According to legend, the three men were healed there and walked all the way back home. In reality, their return journey was less heroic—they covered much of it by horse and carriage.
Today, this route invites runners to retrace their historic journey across a culturally rich cross-border landscape.
https://www.grafschaft-bentheim-toerisme.nl/tour/in-de-voetsporen-van-de-podagristen-80-km
