The Emge is a river in northwestern Germany. It flows through the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. Its course is 371 km long. Its catchment area is 17 934 km². The Emge River begins on the south-eastern Teutoburg Forest slopes close to Schloß Holte-Stukenbrock. Its altitude is 134 m.It flows through the North German Plain. The river flows into Dollart Bay of the North Sea and creates a 20 km estuary close to Emden town.
Water transport is possible for 238 km to the town of Greven, and the channel is straightened and channelized in places. The river connects canals with the Rhine, Vezera and other river basins. It is part of the waterway connecting the Rhine industrial area with the North Sea. On the river lie the towns of Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Gütersloh, Warendorf, Rheine, Lingen, Meppen, Papenburg, Leer and the nearby seaport of Emden.
Many stretches of the river Emge are a protected landscape area. The natural and non-navigable sections are a popular destination for boaters. The part of the Ems between Lingen-Hanekenfähr and the centre of Meppen (total distance of about 40 kilometres) cannot be used by motor boats, among other things, or only to a limited extent. It is, however, possible and permitted to embark and disembark canoes at fixed jetties. The Ems has twice been included in the North Rhine-Westphalia Regional Garden Exhibition: in Rheda-Wiedenbrück in 1988 (as Flora Westfalica) and in Rietberg in 2008. The Ems offers an interactive information tour with information about the river from its source to its mouth in the North Sea and the surrounding area.
