The E11 European long distance path or E11 path is one of the European long-distance paths , running 4700 km (about 2900 miles) west-east from The Hague in the Netherlands through Germany , Poland , Lithuania , Latvia to Tallinn , Estonia . It starts in Scheveningen , a fishing community, commercial harbor and spa in The Hague on the Dutch coast of the North Sea. It ends in Tallinn, a medieval Hanseatic town situated side by side with the 21st century city of modern glass buildings, located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea .
171-724: The E11 is one of three European long distance paths running East from the Benelux to the Baltic states . In the North, following the German, Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian coasts of North Sea and Baltic Sea , the E9 offers a variety of polders , sandy and rocky beaches , dunes , coastal meadows and commercial harbors . In Estonia the route goes along the very seashore for around 100 km, mainly between Haapsalu and Tallinn. But in other places crossing
342-480: A Soviet general. A little further lies Kęszyca , where a German system of underground corridors and strongholds can be visited. It dates back to 1934, when Nazi Germany began work on plans that had started under the democratic Weimar Republic , which wanted to defend itself against a possible attack from the East with a so-called Ostwall . In 1938 already, this defense system started to deteriorate as dictator Adolf Hitler
513-662: A binding decision . The members of the Court are appointed from among the judges of the 'Cour de cassation' of Belgium, the 'Hoge Raad of the Netherlands' and the 'Cour de cassation' of Luxembourg . Benelux General Secretariat: The General Secretariat, which is based in Brussels, forms the cooperation platform of the Benelux Union. It acts as the secretariat of the Committee of Ministers,
684-785: A case of intraguild predation , brought on by interspecific competition for human handouts. There is also at least one recorded case of a group of wild boar attacking, killing, and eating an adult, healthy female axis deer ( Axis axis ) as a pack. Stable isotope analysis of fossil wild boar tooth enamel from the late Middle Pleistocene found in Thailand indicate that it fed on a versatile mixed vegetation. Piglets are vulnerable to attack from medium-sized felids like Eurasian lynx ( Lynx lynx ), jungle cats ( Felis chaus ), and snow leopards ( Panthera uncia ), as well as other carnivorans like brown bears ( Ursus arctos ) and yellow-throated martens ( Martes flavigula ). The wolf ( Canis lupus )
855-454: A decision can directly create rights and obligations for citizens or companies. 2. Agreements The Committee of Ministers can draw up agreements, which are then submitted to the Benelux states (and/or their sub-state entities) for signature and subsequent parliamentary ratification. These agreements can deal with any subject matter, also in policy areas that are not yet covered by cooperation in
1026-506: A detailed guide of the trail can be bought. The Marskramerpad links some typically Dutch landscapes, such as the wetlands and polders in the West of the country, and the sandy hills and broad river valleys in the Center and East of the country. It also crosses some of the most interesting towns and cities, including The Hague , Leiden , Amersfoort , Deventer and Oldenzaal . EUREGIO exploits
1197-738: A diversity of habitats. It has become an invasive species in part of its introduced range. Wild boars probably originated in Southeast Asia during the Early Pleistocene and outcompeted other suid species as they spread throughout the Old World . As of 2005 , up to 16 subspecies are recognized, which are divided into four regional groupings based on skull height and lacrimal bone length. The species lives in matriarchal societies consisting of interrelated females and their young (both male and female). Fully grown males are usually solitary outside
1368-403: A large bow around the city of Międzyrzecz . The city has bus and train connections with various townships on E11 and may be used as a pleasant station for two or three days of walking without much luggage. Bobowicko is at walking distance (2 km) from the train and bus stations of Międzyrzecz. Due to its train connections to Poznań and Germany, Międzyrzecz is also a good place to end or start
1539-481: A light-coloured patch running backward from the corners of the mouth. Coat colour also varies with age, with piglets having light brown or rusty-brown fur with pale bands extending from the flanks and back. The wild boar produces a number of different sounds which are divided into three categories: Its sense of smell is very well developed to the point that the animal is used for drug detection in Germany. Its hearing
1710-542: A local signpost. The historical city center of Olsztyn with its variety of museums, restaurants, theatres and hotspots for night life is without doubt a place where even the most fanatic E11 rambler wants to spend a day of rest. It is the gateway to the former coreland of the Teutonic Order , now characterized by little towns with remnants of huge castles. Of these, E11 passes Dobre Miasto , Lidzbark Warmiński , Bisztynek , Reszel and Kętrzyn . Other buildings remind of
1881-403: A mane running down the back, which is particularly apparent during autumn and winter. The canine teeth are also much more prominent in males and grow throughout life. The upper canines are relatively short and grow sideways early in life, though they gradually curve upwards. The lower canines are much sharper and longer, with the exposed parts measuring 10–12 cm (3.9–4.7 in) in length. In
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#17330851046622052-602: A mix of both wild boar and domestic pigs. They are now known to be present in Dumfries and Galloway and a number of sites in the Highlands , mainly centred around the Loch Ness area. They can be killed there legally without a license and are culled by land managers as wild populations appear occasionally. As of 2024 , an agency that advises the Scottish government estimates that Scotland
2223-583: A museum in Szafarnia . In Radziki Duże E11 turns left over a paved road with heavy lorries carrying loads from a sand quarry. It takes about an hour to reach a bridge over the Drwęcą and escape from the road into the forest on the other side of the river. This sandy forest road continues till Mszano , but in a new suburb under Szabda it turns into a paved road and subsequently a main road leading to Brodnica . E11 and St. James Way leave Brodnica well-marked, but avoiding
2394-673: A new Benelux Treaty on Police Cooperation in 2018, providing for direct access to each other's police databases and population registers within the limits of national legislation, and allowing some police forces to cross borders in some situations. The Benelux is also committed to working together on adaptation to climate change . A joint political declaration in July 2020 called on the European Commission to prioritise cycling in European climate policy and Sustainable Transport strategies, to co-finance
2565-531: A newly created routing in the former GDR . It crosses former West-Germany on a chain of ridges running from West to East, then passes the Harz Mountains without going higher than 514 meters, and finally gives an impression of the large-scale agrarian enterprises that were founded by the Brandenburg-Prussian nobility in the 17th century, and continued to exist in the form of People's Owned Companies during
2736-575: A rambler interested in one of the oldest, biggest and most beautiful town centers along E11 is to turn right (South) toward Rynek Jezycki. Here begins The Royal-Imperial Route in Poznań which, in a more or less straight west–east line, passes all tourist highlights of Poznań . This tourist trail ends at the medieval little Church of St. John of Jerusalem Outside the Walls near Lake Malta . The quiet Northern shore of this Jezioro Maltańskie offers interesting views of
2907-440: A rare Eurasian lynx . It is only at the end of a severe winter season, when the animals are hungry, that extra care must be taken. In the summer, one might tread on a venomous adder and in any season one might be bitten by a rabies infected mammal. The one really big danger, however, is the almost invisible tick as it may be infected with tick-borne diseases , especially Lyme disease and tick-borne meningoencephalitis . In
3078-530: A sense, E11 is the oldest European footpath among the ERA network. There is archeological evidence that messengers and traders followed the range of low hills in what is now Northern Germany, thousands of years ago. Especially after the Middle Ages, the route became a backbone of east–west trade. Pedlars and other travelers preferred the dry and sandy ridge to the swamps to the North and South of it. At present, ramblers feel
3249-632: A serious pest wild animal in the Americas and Australia . As true wild boars became extinct in Great Britain before the development of Modern English , the same terms are often used for both true wild boar and pigs, especially large or semi-wild ones. The English boar stems from the Old English bār , which is thought to be derived from the West Germanic bair , of unknown origin. Boar
3420-533: A short distance. Moreover, E11 is not itself waymarked on the route, with a few exceptions which may amount to one sign every 100 km. The regional trails are marked, however, although not always well enough to enable the rambler to follow E11 without a map. Some topographical maps show sections of E11, but others may only show the trails that form the basis of it. So one must fall back on documents describing which sections of which trails make up E11. Unfortunately, these are hardly accessible or are incomplete: Once
3591-592: A skull from a recently killed individual in the Annamite Range , Laos, in 1995. Subsequent studies indicated that Sus bucculentus was not a valid taxon. As of 2022 the Mammal Diversity Database included it in Sus scrofa . The wild boar is a bulky, massively built suid with short and relatively thin legs. The trunk is short and robust, while the hindquarters are comparatively underdeveloped. The region behind
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#17330851046623762-513: A small tiger and a tigress to death in self-defense. A "large male tiger" died of wounds inflicted by an old wild boar it had killed in "a battle royal" between the two animals. In the Amur region , wild boars are one of the two most important prey species for Siberian tigers , alongside the Manchurian wapiti ( Cervus canadensis xanthopygus ), with the two species collectively comprising roughly 80% of
3933-464: A surprisingly wild patch of forest. The red markings lead through open agrarian land to the long-stretched industrial village of Trzemeszno . The trail passes in front of the railway station, crosses the tracks a little further, and reaches Mogilno via the village of Wydartowo . The white-red-white stripes die out in Mogilno . E11, now invisible, turns right in the little park around the lake, not far from
4104-478: A tar road through a nondescript area of small businesses and workshops related to agriculture. Later, it ventures into forest until finally all black or green markings leave the path and die somewhere in the forest and the dunes. One should rather follow the nearby tar road to the North, to the township of Pobiedziska , where E11 is found back. Away from the track, to the West of the town, open-air museum Skansen welcomes visitors with miniature copies of buildings from
4275-495: A third domestication event with the Near Eastern genes dying out in European pig stock. Modern domesticated pigs have involved complex exchanges, with European domesticated lines being exported in turn to the ancient Near East. Historical records indicate that Asian pigs were introduced into Europe during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Domestic pigs tend to have much more developed hindquarters than their wild boar ancestors, to
4446-521: A tour of one or more weeks along E11. The city has an interesting regional museum and a lively score of restaurants and bars. From Bobowicko, the green trail continues till after Stołuń, where E11 begins to follow white-blue-white to Villa Toscana, a lonely hotel between the villages of Nowe Gorzycko and Stare Gorzycko . The blue trail and E11 continue to the twin cities of Międzychód and Bielsko , which offer many opportunities for shopping (fashion, antiquities, arts) and staying overnight. E11 now enters
4617-683: A train or on the motorway, see it high on the slope that ends the Wiehengebirge. After Porta Westfalica E11 remains in Lower Saxony for almost 200 kilometers. It follows the 50 kilometers of a regional hiking trail, the Wesergebirgsweg, cruising over de crest of the next ridge, the Weser Uplands to the medieval town of Hameln . E11 reaches a height of 440 meters on Mount Hohe Egge, amidst of breath-taking rocks and ancient forests. It then crosses
4788-565: A variety of natural and commercial forests along the river Drwęcą . E11 leaves the twin cities without markings near the Post Office and the cemetery on National Road # 534. The trail follows roughly the river Drwęcą to the North-East, and the first yellow signs are found in the forest. The trail then alternates between river side woods and agrarian settlements. Some of these remind of the composer Chopin who spent holidays in this area and now has
4959-559: A weak sense of orientation, or those who fear Russian red tape when crossing the border unintentionally and without visa. That one reaches the Russian border before Lithuania , may be surprising to those who are not aware that Russia has an exclave around Kaliningrad , formerly German Königsberg . E11 in Poland ends at the Polish-Lithuanian border post at 3 km from Ogrodniki . Here
5130-471: A wide area. In Pobiedziska itself, the Ulica Gnieźnieńska at the left of the church on the central square of Pobiedziska carries E11 out of town. Through open, mostly agrarian land, the scattered houses of Lednogóra are reached, where white-red-white markings join the trail. This is from now on the colour of E11 over more than 100 kilometres. Along a swampy lake and a crossing in the main road #5 (at
5301-530: A year later. However, estrus usually first occurs after two years in sows, while males begin participating in the rut after 4–5 years, as they are not permitted to mate by the older males. The maximum lifespan in the wild is 10–14 years, though few specimens survive past 4–5 years. Boars in captivity have lived for 20 years. The wild boar inhabits a diverse array of habitats from boreal taigas to deserts . In mountainous regions, it can even occupy alpine zones, occurring up to 1,900 m (6,200 ft) in
E11 European long distance path - Misplaced Pages Continue
5472-573: Is Frans Weekers from the Netherlands and there are two deputies: Deputy Secretary-General Michel-Etienne Tilemans from Belgium and Deputy Secretary-General Jean-Claude Meyer from Luxembourg. The presidency of the Benelux is held in turn by the three countries for a period of one year. Belgium holds the presidency for 2024. About 80 percent of the Benelux population speaks Dutch, about 20 percent speaks French and one percent Luxembourgish as their native language. A small minority under one percent are native German speakers. In 1944, exiled representatives of
5643-523: Is a politico - economic union and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of three neighbouring states in Western Europe : Belgium , the Netherlands , and Luxembourg . The name is a portmanteau formed from joining the first few letters of each country's name and was first used to name the customs agreement that initiated the union (signed in 1944). It is now used more generally to refer to
5814-552: Is a highly versatile omnivore , whose diversity in choice of food is comparable to that of humans . Their foods can be divided into four categories: A 50 kg (110 lb) boar needs around 4,000–4,500 calories of food per day, though this required amount increases during winter and pregnancy, with the majority of its diet consisting of food items dug from the ground, like underground plant material and burrowing animals. Acorns and beechnuts are invariably its most important food items in temperate zones , as they are rich in
5985-424: Is also acute, though its eyesight is comparatively weak, lacking color vision and being unable to recognise a standing human 10–15 metres (33–49 ft) away. Pigs are one of four known mammalian taxa which possess mutations in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor that protect against snake venom. Mongooses , honey badgers , hedgehogs , and pigs all have modifications to the receptor pocket which prevents
6156-630: Is concerned, the community and regional governments, signed in Brussels the Treaty of the Benelux Interparliamentary Assembly. This treaty entered into force on 1 August 2019. This superseded the 1955 Convention on the Consultative Interparliamentary Council for the Benelux. The official name has been largely obsolete in daily practice for a number of years: both internally in the Benelux and in external references,
6327-401: Is described in the German language, A list of 150 addresses which offer lodgings for the night en route, also in German, is found in specialized bookshops in Germany. Some useful information is found at Fernwege.de, but as such not enough to follow the trail. It is strongly advised to carry a city plan of Berlin when walking from Potsdam to Neuenhagen. Locally bought topographical maps will do for
6498-556: Is found in small parts of The Netherlands as well as in Eastern Germany and around the Polish city of Poznań. Nevertheless, the E11 links some interesting cities, such as The Hague , Amersfoort , Deventer , Osnabrück , Goslar , Luther's Wittenberg , Berlin , Frankfurt (Oder) , Poznań , Gniezno , Toruń , Olsztyn , Lidzbark Warmiński and Kętrzyn . Lakes and rivers are not uncommon along
6669-548: Is home to a few thousand wild boars. Locals around Loch Ness that were interviewed by The New York Times believed that the boars were becoming an increasingly worse problem, and farmers noted that they had killed and eaten several lambs. Wild boars are an invasive species in the Americas, having been introduced by European explorers and settlers in the 16th century to serve as a source of food. Wild boars now cause problems including out-competing native species for food, destroying
6840-481: Is illegal to import, breed, release, possess, sell, distribute, trade, transport, hunt, or trap Eurasian boars. Hunting and trapping is done systematically, to increase the chance of eradication and to remove the incentive to illegally release boars, which have mostly been spread deliberately by sport hunters. While domestic pigs, both captive and feral (popularly termed "razorbacks"), have been in North America since
7011-518: Is known as the Marskramerpad ("Peddlers Way"), paying tribute to those who walked through the centuries along the same track. The Marskramerpad links Scheveningen in The Hague over 368 kilometers to the German township of Bad Bentheim . The last 13 km are in Germany, which leaves 355 km for the Netherlands. Like most Dutch long distance trails, the Marskramerpad is managed by Wandelnet, where
E11 European long distance path - Misplaced Pages Continue
7182-701: Is largely due in part to the local leopard subspecies' large size. Boars of all ages were once the primary prey of the tiger ( Panthera tigris ) in Transcaucasia, Kazakhstan, Middle Asia and the Far East up until the late 19th century. In modern times, tiger numbers are too low to have a limiting effect on boar populations. A single tiger can systematically destroy an entire sounder by preying on its members one by one, before moving on to another sounder. Tigers have been noted to chase boars for longer distances than with other prey. In two rare cases, boars were reported to gore
7353-504: Is no possibility to spend the night, the nearest lodgings are found in Sejny , 11 km along the main road, or 13 km by following the black trail back and then the red trail to the right. Those who venture into Lithuania may find a guesthouse in Lazdijai . Both towns have no train connections; to take a train home or to an airport, one may follow the red trail from Sejny over 25 km to
7524-556: Is not part of the Benelux Union. The Benelux General Secretariat is located in Brussels . It is the central platform of the Benelux Union cooperation. It handles the secretariat of the Committee of Ministers, the Council of Benelux Union and the sundry committees and working parties. The General Secretariat provides day-to-day support for the Benelux cooperation on the substantive, procedural, diplomatic and logistical levels. The Secretary-General
7695-427: Is now dreaming away as a provincial town. Old and beautiful houses and other buildings around the central square testify of an interesting past, whilst decaying factories refer to the recent communist past. The university offers the most lively corner of the town. The white-red-white marks of E11 lead along the most interesting churches, museums and other sites, and finally to the railway station. A few signs in front of
7866-497: Is particularly active in the field of intellectual property . The three countries established a Benelux Trademarks Office and a Benelux Designs Office, both situated in The Hague . In 2005, they concluded a treaty establishing the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property , which replaced both offices upon its entry into force on 1 September 2006. This organisation is the official body for the registration of trademarks and designs in
8037-527: Is sometimes used specifically to refer to males, and may also be used to refer to male domesticated pigs, especially breeding males that have not been castrated. Sow , the traditional name for a female, again comes from Old English and Germanic; it stems from Proto-Indo-European , and is related to the Latin : sus and Greek [[[:wikt:ὗς#Ancient Greek| hus ]]] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script (pos 9) ( help ) , and more closely to
8208-403: Is the main predator of wild boar throughout most of its range. A single wolf can kill around 50 to 80 boars of differing ages in one year. In Italy and Belarus' Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park , boars are the wolf's primary prey, despite an abundance of alternative, less powerful ungulates. Wolves are particularly threatening during the winter, when deep snow impedes the boars' movements. In
8379-732: Is true for both the Töddenweg and the Wittekindsweg, which form the respective continuations of the Marskramerpad. The Töddenweg (a regional name to be translated as Peddlers Way) used to begin in Oldenzaal in The Netherlands, but has its start now in Bad Bentheim , an old siege of German nobility with a medieval castle (partly museum) and a functioning spa. A set of 3 maps can be downloaded or ordered from EUREGIO. A different map can be obtained from
8550-738: The British Isles to Korea and the Sunda Islands . The northern limit of its range extended from southern Scandinavia to southern Siberia and Japan . Within this range, it was only absent in extremely dry deserts and alpine zones. It was once found in North Africa along the Nile valley up to Khartoum and north of the Sahara . The species occurs on a few Ionian and Aegean Islands , sometimes swimming between islands. The reconstructed northern boundary of
8721-696: The Carpathians , 2,600 m (8,500 ft) in the Caucasus and up to 3,600–4,000 m (11,800–13,100 ft) in the mountains in Central Asia and Kazakhstan . In order to survive in a given area, wild boars require a habitat fulfilling three conditions: heavily brushed areas providing shelter from predators, water for drinking and bathing purposes and an absence of regular snowfall. The main habitats favored by boars in Europe are deciduous and mixed forests , with
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#17330851046628892-668: The Cold War . The Glienicke Bridge witnessed the opening and subsequent fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989. The routing through former West Berlin surprises with a vast area of forest before the Olympic Stadium in Charlottenburg is reached. This part of Berlin is rich in historical castles, including the winter residence of the Prussian kings, who also founded a few museums here. Most of
9063-664: The European Coal and Steel Community , the European Economic Community (EEC), and the European Community – European Union (EC–EU). The three partners also launched the Schengen process, which came into operation in 1985. Benelux cooperation has been constantly adapted and now goes much further than mere economic cooperation, extending to new and topical policy areas connected with security, sustainable development, and
9234-628: The Giza Zoo , with wild populations having disappeared by 1894–1902. Prince Kamal el Dine Hussein attempted to repopulate Wadi El Natrun with boars of Hungarian stock, but they were quickly exterminated by poachers. A revival of boar populations began in the middle of the 20th century. By 1950, wild boar had once again reached their original northern boundary in many parts of their Asiatic range. By 1960, they reached Leningrad and Moscow and by 1975, they were to be found in Archangelsk and Astrakhan . In
9405-485: The Himalayas . It is absent in the higher elevations of the Pamir and the Tian Shan , though they do occur in the Tarim Basin and on the lower slopes of the Tien Shan. In recent centuries, the range of wild boar has changed dramatically, largely due to hunting by humans and more recently because of captive wild boar escaping into the wild. Prior to the 20th century, boar populations had declined in numerous areas, with British populations probably becoming extinct during
9576-461: The New High German Sau . The young may be called piglets or boarlets . The animals' specific name scrofa is Latin for 'sow'. In hunting terminology, boars are given different designations according to their age: MtDNA studies indicate that the wild boar originated from islands in Southeast Asia such as Indonesia and the Philippines , and subsequently spread onto mainland Eurasia and North Africa. The earliest fossil finds of
9747-423: The Nordic Council (Sweden, Denmark and Finland), and all the other countries EU member states , sought to increase cooperation in the Digital Single Market , as well as discussing social matters, the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union , immigration and defence cooperation. Foreign relations in the wake of Russia's annexation of Crimea and the 2017 Turkish constitutional referendum were also on
9918-417: The Volga Delta and near some lakes and rivers of Kazakhstan have been recorded to feed extensively on fish like carp and Caspian roach . Boars in the former area will also feed on cormorant and heron chicks, bivalved molluscs , trapped muskrats and mice. There is at least one record of a boar killing and eating a bonnet macaque in southern India's Bandipur National Park , though this may have been
10089-432: The Way of St. James continue. Gorges invites to look for a trail marked blue, but the only blue trail to be found makes a short circuit through a suburb of Kruszwica. A better bet is to follow the busy main road to the North, which is marked with the shells of St.James. After 7 km, near Łojewo , one may take a quiet asphalt road, soon unpaved and marked blue. The blue signs lead finally through long-stretched suburbs to
10260-483: The Wiehen Hills and the Wesergebirge ), created almost 100 million years ago from marine sediments which started to rise. The Harz mountains themselves are even much older (about 300 million years according to academic estimates) and stem from a variety of complicated geological processes. After the Harz, E11 drops back to the estuaries of the rivers in the plains. Large parts of the E11 cross through forests, for which sometimes considerable detours are made. Open scenery
10431-488: The breeding season . The wolf is the wild boar's main predator in most of its natural range except in the Far East and the Lesser Sunda Islands , where it is replaced by the tiger and Komodo dragon respectively. The wild boar has a long history of association with humans , having been the ancestor of most domestic pig breeds and a big-game animal for millennia. Boars have also re- hybridized in recent decades with feral pigs ; these boar–pig hybrids have become
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#173308510466210602-635: The carbohydrates necessary for the buildup of fat reserves needed to survive lean periods. In Western Europe, underground plant material favoured by boars includes bracken , willow herb , bulbs, meadow herb roots and bulbs and the bulbs of cultivated crops. Such food is favoured in early spring and summer, but may also be eaten in autumn and winter during beechnut and acorn crop failures. Should regular wild foods become scarce, boars will eat tree bark and fungi , as well as visit cultivated potato and artichoke fields. Boar soil disturbance and foraging have been shown to facilitate invasive plants. Boars of
10773-499: The snake venom α-neurotoxin from binding. These represent four separate, independent mutations. Boars are typically social animals, living in female-dominated sounders consisting of barren sows and mothers with young led by an old matriarch. Male boars leave their sounder at the age of 8–15 months, while females either remain with their mothers or establish new territories nearby. Subadult males may live in loosely knit groups, while adult and elderly males tend to be solitary outside
10944-554: The vittatus subspecies in Ujung Kulon National Park in Java differ from most other populations by their primarily frugivorous diet, which consists of 50 different fruit species, especially figs , thus making them important seed dispersers. The wild boar can consume numerous genera of poisonous plants without ill effect, including Aconitum , Anemone , Calla , Caltha , Ferula and Pteridium . Boars may occasionally prey on small vertebrates like newborn deer fawns, leporids and galliform chicks. Boars inhabiting
11115-430: The wild swine , common wild pig , Eurasian wild pig , or simply wild pig , is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa , and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania . The species is now one of the widest-ranging mammals in the world, as well as the most widespread suiform . It has been assessed as least concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide range, high numbers, and adaptability to
11286-410: The 13th century. In the warm period after the ice age, wild boar lived in the southern parts of Sweden and Norway and north of Lake Ladoga in Karelia . It was previously thought that the species did not live in Finland during prehistory because no prehistoric wild boar bones had been found within the borders of the country. It was not until 2013, when a wild boar bone was found in Askola , that
11457-422: The 1970s they again occurred in Denmark and Sweden, where captive animals escaped and now survive in the wild. In England, wild boar populations re-established themselves in the 1990s, after escaping from specialist farms that had imported European stock. By the 11th century, wild boars were apparently already becoming rare in Britain. A 1087 forestry law enacted by William the Conqueror punished through blinding
11628-453: The 1970s, but since the early 1990s significant populations have re-established themselves after escapes from farms, the number of which has increased as the demand for meat from the species has grown. A 1998 MAFF (now DEFRA ) study on wild boar living wild in Britain confirmed the presence of two populations of wild boar living in Britain; one in Kent / East Sussex and another in Dorset . Another DEFRA report, in February 2008, confirmed
11799-459: The Baltic regions, heavy snowfall can allow wolves to eliminate boars from an area almost completely. Wolves primarily target piglets and subadults and only rarely attack adult sows. Adult males are usually avoided entirely. Dholes ( Cuon alpinus ) may also prey on boars, to the point of keeping their numbers down in northwestern Bhutan, despite there being many more cattle in the area. Leopards ( Panthera pardus ) are predators of wild boar in
11970-516: The Benelux Council and/or the Secretariat-General, for which they are binding. This instrument has so far only been used occasionally, basically in order to organize certain activities within a Benelux working group or to give them impetus. All four instruments require the unanimous approval of the members of the Committee of Ministers (and, in the case of agreements, subsequent signature and ratification at national level). Wild boar The wild boar ( Sus scrofa ), also known as
12141-435: The Benelux Organisation for Intellectual Property is also an independent organisation. Benelux Committee of Ministers: The Committee of Ministers is the supreme decision-making body of the Benelux. It includes at least one representative at ministerial level from the three countries. Its composition varies according to its agenda. The ministers determine the orientations and priorities of Benelux cooperation. The presidency of
12312-453: The Benelux. In addition, it offers the possibility to formally record the existence of ideas, concepts, designs, prototypes and the like. Some examples of recent Benelux initiatives include: automatic level recognition of diplomas and degrees within the Benelux for bachelor's and master's programs in 2015, and for all other degrees in 2018; common road inspections in 2014; and a Benelux pilot with digital consignment notes ( e-CMR ) in 2017;
12483-620: The Caucasus (particularly Transcaucasia), the Russian Far East, India, China and Iran. In most areas, boars constitute only a small part of the leopard's diet. However, in Iran's Sarigol National Park, boars are the second most frequently targeted prey species after mouflon ( Ovis gmelini ), though adult individuals are generally avoided, as they are above the leopard's preferred weight range of 10–40 kg (22–88 lb). This dependence on wild boar
12654-566: The Central Railway Station takes little time as E11 avoids the interesting historical town center and the luxurious palaces of the former dukes of Brandenburg , who became kings of Prussia and emperors of Germany . E11 sneaks through one of the hottest spots on the former border of West Berlin , Klein Glienicke. This little settlement, enclosed by water and divided by an indented border, was packed full of spies by both superpowers during
12825-435: The Committee rotates between the three countries on an annual basis. Benelux Council: The council is composed of senior officials from the relevant ministries. Its composition varies according to its agenda. The council's main task is to prepare the dossiers for the ministers. Benelux InterParliamentary Consultative Council: The Benelux Parliament (officially referred to as an "Interparliamentary Consultative Council")
12996-536: The GDR. The metropolis of Berlin is crossed from Potsdam through the town centre to Friedrichshagen . E11 leaves German territory on the Oder /Odra bridge linking Frankfurt (Oder) to Słubice in Poland. After Bad Bentheim , E11 follows the border between the German federal states (Länder) of Lower Saxony and Northrhine-Westphalia over about 200 kilometers, which means that one crosses their border at least every day. This
13167-687: The German-German border and now separates the federal states of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt . In the years after the fall of the Iron Curtain and German reunification , the Harz Club put much effort into restoring the network of rambling trails in the Eastern part of the Harz Mountains. This resulted inter alia in a completely new extension of E11 through the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt . It passes Ilsenburg and Ballenstedt , finally breaks through
13338-447: The Gulf of Finland it runs along sandy beaches or stony, rocky and sometimes overgrown shores. European long distance footpaths are strictly developed as hiking trails, but almost all of E11 can be travelled on a saddle - be it on a horse or a bicycle. Most of the (original, pre-human) landscape along E11 was formed in the last 14,000 years, i.e. in the current Holocene or warmer period since
13509-568: The River Spree and a few recreational parks and then crosses the river by ferry into a vast area of town houses and bungalows to Friedrichshagen . Here, E11 leaves the urban area behind to venture to the North into one of the most beautiful parts of the trail, the valley of the little river Erpe or Neuenhagener Mühlenfließ . Turning East, the trail now passes through Neuenhagen and the Märkische Schweiz Nature Park to Gusow near
13680-419: The Treaty establishing the Benelux Union or other Benelux treaties. Their legally binding force concerns the Benelux states (and their sub-state entities), which have to implement them. However, they have no direct effect towards individual citizens or companies (notwithstanding any indirect protection of their rights based on such decisions as a source of international law). Only national provisions implementing
13851-555: The U.K.'s woodlands were discussed with Ralph Harmer of the Forestry Commission on the BBC Radio 's Farming Today radio programme in 2011. The programme prompted activist writer George Monbiot to propose a thorough population study, followed by the introduction of permit-controlled culling . In Scotland, wild boar are professionally referred to as 'feral pigs' as the genetics of the established feral populations may come from
14022-422: The age of the expecting mother. For first-time breeders, it lasts 114–130 days, while it lasts 133–140 days in older sows. Farrowing occurs between March and May, with litter sizes depending on the age and nutrition of the mother. The average litter consists of 4–6 piglets, with the maximum being 10–12. The piglets are whelped in a nest constructed from twigs, grasses and leaves. Should the mother die prematurely,
14193-806: The agenda. Since 2008 the Benelux Union works together with the German Land (state) North Rhine-Westphalia. In 2018 Benelux Union signed a declaration with France to strengthen cross-border cooperation. Under the 2008 treaty there are five Benelux institutions: the Benelux Committee of Ministers, the Benelux Council, the Benelux Parliament, the Benelux Court of Justice, the Benelux Secretariat General. Beside these five institutions,
14364-603: The animal's Asian range ran from Lake Ladoga (at 60°N) through the area of Novgorod and Moscow into the southern Urals , where it reached 52°N. From there, the boundary passed Ishim and farther east the Irtysh at 56°N. In the eastern Baraba steppe (near Novosibirsk ) the boundary turned steep south, encircled the Altai Mountains and went again eastward including the Tannu-Ola Mountains and Lake Baikal . From here,
14535-540: The area that, for a long time, was No Man's Land and War Front Zone between Prussia (later the German Empire) and Poland. Many monuments remind of this tragedy, but unfortunately the explanatory texts are in Polish only. In Bukowar the markings change to white-red-white and in Obrzycko to white-green-white. Słopanowo marks the end of the forests; E11 now enters the agrarian open space of the province of Greater Poland around
14706-483: The areas of economy, sustainability and security. Benelux works together on the basis of an annual plan embedded in a four-year joint work programme. The Benelux Union involves intergovernmental cooperation. The Treaty establishing the Benelux Union explicitly provides that the Benelux Committee of Ministers can resort to four legal instruments (art. 6, paragraph 2, under a), f), g) and h)): 1. Decisions Decisions are legally binding regulations for implementing
14877-405: The body, with the shortest being around the face and limbs and the longest running along the back. These back bristles form the aforementioned mane prominent in males and stand erect when the animal is agitated. Colour is highly variable; specimens around Lake Balkhash are very lightly coloured, and can even be white, while some boars from Belarus and Ussuriland can be black. Some subspecies sport
15048-653: The border to work in the Netherlands each day. In addition, 12,000 Dutch and close to a thousand Luxembourg residents work in Belgium. The main institutions of the Union are the Committee of Ministers, the Council of the Union, the General Secretariat, the Interparliamentary Consultative Council and the Benelux Court of Justice while the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property covers the same land but
15219-437: The border with the federal state of Brandenburg . After Halle, E11 is waymarked according to the traditional system in former communist Europe: three horizontal stripes, white, blue and white, which may also be interpreted as a blue stripe on a white square. E11 enters Brandenburg near Gross-Marzehns and crosses broad treeless agrarian land towards the town of Belzig . The trail continues through vast hunting forests, which were
15390-650: The boundary went slightly north of the Amur River eastward to its lower reaches at the Sea of Okhotsk . On Sakhalin , there are only fossil reports of wild boar. The southern boundaries in Europe and Asia were almost invariably identical to the seashores of these continents. It is absent in the dry regions of Mongolia from 44 to 46°N southward, in China westward of Sichuan and in India north of
15561-1106: The breeding period, males develop a coating of subcutaneous tissue , which may be 2–3 cm (0.79–1.18 in) thick, extending from the shoulder blades to the rump, thus protecting vital organs during fights. Males sport a roughly chicken egg–sized sac of unclear function near the opening of the penis that collects urine and emits a sharp odour. Adult size and weight is largely determined by environmental factors; boars living in arid areas with little productivity tend to attain smaller sizes than their counterparts inhabiting areas with abundant food and water. In most of Europe , males average 75–100 kg (165–220 lb) in weight, 75–80 cm (30–31 in) in shoulder height and 150 cm (59 in) in body length, whereas females average 60–80 kg (130–180 lb) in weight, 70 cm (28 in) in shoulder height and 140 cm (55 in) in body length. In Europe's Mediterranean regions , males may reach average weights as low as 50 kg (110 lb) and females 45 kg (99 lb), with shoulder heights of 63–65 cm (25–26 in). In
15732-426: The breeding season. The breeding period in most areas lasts from November to January, though most mating only lasts a month and a half. Prior to mating, the males develop their subcutaneous armour in preparation for confronting rivals. The testicles double in size and the glands secrete a foamy yellowish liquid. Once ready to reproduce, males travel long distances in search of a sounder of sows, eating little on
15903-458: The bridge across the River Oder (and the now open border between Germany and Poland) has been passed, E11 (here unmarked) goes straight through the town center of Słubice , until 1945 a suburban part of Frankfurt (Oder) under the name of Dammvorstadt, but a separate township in a different country since then. Two kilometers out of town, E11 curbs left toward the little village of Drzecin , where
16074-462: The center of Gniewkowo . They follow a right curve and leave the town on the asphalt road towards Cierpice to the North. The trails now enter a large forest, leave the tar road after some kilometers and make a wide curve of 16 km to the village of Cierpice , the first of a chain of suburbs of Toruń . In spite of Gorges, E11 no longer passes through Suchatówka. The blue trail ends at the PTTK office in
16245-433: The city center of Inowrocław . Near the railway station of Inowrocław a torn map of the city is found, which indicates where the red-marked E11 leaves the town. The insufficiently marked trail crosses the fields of Kolonie Szadłowice and enters the forests of Błoto Ostrowskie . Finally, one comes to the village of Wierzbiczany, from where both the red markings and the blue shells of St.James lead through agrarian land to
16416-507: The city of Halle . This remarkable town survived the Second World War almost undamaged and retains a great number of buildings reflecting Jugendstil , Bauhaus and other architectural styles. The path west of Halle is waymarked in the same manner as the previous parts, i.e. a white cross (X), possibly on a black square. After Halle, E11 climbs the lonely hill of Petersberg and continues through flat, open land. The scenery reflects both
16587-401: The city of Poznań . There are no marks after Szamotuły . The village of Kiekrz is where E11 reaches Poznań. From behind the railway station of Kiekrz, a white-green-white marked trail leads through a vast city park to Golęcin, from where a few black or blue marks guide the rambler to the tramway stop of Sołacz and Nad Wierzbakiem. After this point, E11 is not defined, but the obvious choice of
16758-621: The coastline becomes difficult as it is shaped by numerous capes, peninsulas, wetlands with reeds, floodplains, lagoons and shallow coves, which is why the remaining distance of around 500 km has to be covered via seaside trails, roads and along motor roads. More to the South, the E3 crosses through the long range of medium-sized mountains that links the mainly Belgian Ardennes to the Carpathian Mountains . The E11 takes an intermediate course through
16929-406: The conquest of Saxony by Charlemagne. Remarkable is that his long and brave resistance resulted in his appointment as the first Duke of Saxony under Charlemagne. Just before the sensational descent to Porta Westfalica , the trail passes the giant monument to the honor of Wilhelm I, German Emperor from 1871 till his death in 1888. The building is placed in such a way, that even today, all who pass in
17100-467: The construction of cycling infrastructure , and to provide funds to stimulate cycling policy. On 5 June 2018, the Benelux Treaty celebrated its 60 years of existence. In 2018, a Benelux Youth Parliament was created. In addition to cooperation based on a Treaty, there is also political cooperation in the Benelux context, including summits of the Benelux government leaders. In 2019 a Benelux summit
17271-462: The council and various commissions and working groups . The General Secretariat has years of expertise in the area of Benelux cooperation and is familiar with the policy agreements and differences between the three countries. Building on what already been achieved, the General Secretariat puts its knowledge, network and experience at the service of partners and stakeholders who endorse its mission . It initiates, supports and monitors cooperation results in
17442-592: The crest of the Harz Mountains (which are hills rather than mountains here), and reaches the town of Lutherstadt Eisleben , the birthplace of Martin Luther , the church reformer, and bears his name in its official name. A further extension, long planned, but realized only in 2007, leads E11 through mining and large-scale agricultural country to the Natural Park of the Lower Saale (Naturpark Unteres Saaletal). E11 continues to
17613-466: The crossing a road sign says that it is now 22.2 kilometres to Gniezno ), E11 reaches the railway station of Fałkowo , which is crossed at full length. Here E11 has been forced to make place for a motorway. After Leśniewo scarce white-red-white signs can be found again, leading the aware and persistent rambler to Gniezno . Gniezno was the first capital of Poland, way back in the Middle Ages , but it
17784-498: The ears long and broad. The species has well developed canine teeth , which protrude from the mouths of adult males. The medial hooves are larger and more elongated than the lateral ones and are capable of quick movements. The animal can run at a maximum speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) and jump at a height of 140–150 cm (55–59 in). Sexual dimorphism is very pronounced in the species, with males being typically 5–10% larger and 20–30% heavier than females. Males also sport
17955-544: The eastern part of the Marskramerpad and its continuation in Germany (together forming the stretch Deventer - Bad Bentheim - Osnabrück) under the name of Handelsweg. The first 13 kilometers in Germany, through Gildehaus and Bad Bentheim , are part of the Dutch Marskramerpad. In the rest of Germany, E11 follows some old regional trails, a remnant of the Wanderweg Harz - Niederlande (Hiking Trail Harz - Netherlands) and
18126-535: The economy. In 1965, the treaty establishing a Benelux Court of Justice was signed. It entered into force in 1974. The court, composed of judges from the highest courts of the three states, has to guarantee the uniform interpretation of common legal rules. This international judicial institution is located in Luxembourg. The 1958 Treaty between the Benelux countries establishing the Benelux Economic Union
18297-749: The exception of domestic pigs in Timor and Papua New Guinea (which appear to be of Sulawesi warty pig stock), the wild boar is the ancestor of most pig breeds . Archaeological evidence suggests that pigs were domesticated from wild boar as early as 13,000–12,700 BCE in the Near East in the Tigris Basin, being managed in the wild in a way similar to the way they are managed by some modern New Guineans. Remains of pigs have been dated to earlier than 11,400 BCE in Cyprus . Those animals must have been introduced from
18468-605: The existence of these two sites as 'established breeding areas' and identified a third in Gloucestershire / Herefordshire ; in the Forest of Dean / Ross on Wye area. A 'new breeding population' was also identified in Devon . There is another significant population in Dumfries and Galloway . Populations estimates were as follows: Population estimates for the Forest of Dean are disputed as, at
18639-515: The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the unification of Germany in 1990, the need was felt to extend the trail to the East on a partially new course, partially making use of existing trails in the former East Germany . Parallel to the extension of the European Union to the East, the E11 was extended over the existing network of Polish local and regional hiking trails. The Dutch section of E11
18810-590: The famous museums of Berlin are, however, found in Mitte (the historical center of Berlin and also the center of the former East Berlin). E11 does not pass here, but follows an old trail in West Berlin along the River Spree and the Landwehr Canal , thus missing the most interesting parts of East Berlin and present-day Berlin. The borough of Köpenick is where E11 enters former East Berlin. E11 lingers leisurely between
18981-608: The felid's prey. In Sikhote Alin , a tiger can kill 30–34 boars a year. Studies of tigers in India indicate that boars are usually secondary in preference to various cervids and bovids , though when boars are targeted, healthy adults are caught more frequently than young and sick specimens. On the islands of Komodo , Rinca and Flores , the boar's main predator is the Komodo dragon ( Varanus komodoensis ). The species originally occurred in North Africa and much of Eurasia ; from
19152-462: The first white-yellow-white markings are found. These lead in a few days to Lubniewice , where the markings change to white-blue-white. The blue trail passes Kursko and leads to Kęszyca Leśna , a former army base of the Soviet Red Army that now tries to build up a second life as an industrial and tourist settlement. The former staff quarters now function as a hotel, where the hiker may rest as
19323-434: The framework of the Benelux Union. These are in fact traditional treaties, with the same direct legally binding force towards both authorities and citizens or companies. The negotiations do however take place in the established context of the Benelux working groups and institutions, rather than on an ad hoc basis. 3. Recommendations Recommendations are non-binding orientations, adopted at ministerial level, which underpin
19494-812: The fruit-bearing season. This is in contrast to the Caucasian and Transcaucasian mountain areas, where boars will occupy such fruit-bearing forests year-round. In the mountainous areas of the Russian Far East , the species inhabits nutpine groves, hilly mixed forests where Mongolian oak and Korean pine are present, swampy mixed taiga and coastal oak forests. In Transbaikalia , boars are restricted to river valleys with nut pine and shrubs. Boars are regularly encountered in pistachio groves in winter in some areas of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan , while in spring they migrate to open deserts; boar have also colonized deserts in several areas they have been introduced to. On
19665-408: The functioning of the Benelux Union. These (policy) orientations may not be legally binding, but given their adoption at the highest political level and their legal basis vested directly in the Treaty, they do entail a strong moral obligation for any authority concerned in the Benelux countries. 4. Directives Directives of the Committee of Ministers are mere inter-institutional instructions towards
19836-506: The geographic, economic, and cultural grouping of the three countries. The Benelux is an economically dynamic and densely populated region, with 5.6% of the European population (29.55 million residents) and 7.9% of the joint EU GDP (€36,000/resident) on 1.7% of the whole surface of the EU . In 2015, 37% of the total number of EU cross-border workers worked in the Benelux; 35,000 Belgian citizens work in Luxembourg, while 37,000 Belgian citizens cross
20007-482: The green signs must be followed to the North until a paved road. The asphalt is followed to the East over about one kilometer between two lakes. Here the green trail and the yellow-marked E11 split up. E11 passes twice near the tourist resort of Ciche and turns West to Górale, then North to the railway station of Ostrowite, and finally East. The yellow-marked E11 continues to the East until Radomno , where it unites with St. James Way and turns North to Iława . They pass
20178-463: The islands of Komodo and Rinca , the boar mostly inhabits savanna or open monsoon forests, avoiding heavily forested areas unless pursued by humans. Wild boar are known to be competent swimmers, capable of covering long distances. In 2013, one boar was reported to have completed the 11-kilometre (7 mi) swim from France to Alderney in the Channel Islands . Due to concerns about disease, it
20349-456: The large scale of agrarian enterprises in the new federal states as well as the influence of Brandenburg-Prussian nobility in the 18th and 19th centuries. E11 reaches the city of Dessau , the cradle of Bauhaus architecture, then plunges into the interesting Biosphere Reserve of the Middle Elbe. It passes Coswig and enters the forest around Senst . Shortly after this village, E11 reaches
20520-624: The last ice age . The melting ice in Northern Europe caused huge rivers to carve out wide valleys, whilst the sea level rose significantly and flooded low land. It is known that the river Thames in England was once a tributary of the river Rhine on the continent; Britain was then not separated from the continent by the North Sea . In what is now known as the Netherlands and in the plains of (now) Northern Germany and Poland, rivers began to flow to carry
20691-461: The mainland, which suggests domestication in the adjacent mainland by then. There was also a separate domestication in China, which took place about 8,000 years ago. DNA evidence from sub-fossil remains of teeth and jawbones of Neolithic pigs shows that the first domestic pigs in Europe had been brought from the Near East. This stimulated the domestication of local European wild boars, resulting in
20862-483: The many sports accommodations on and around the lake and guides the E11 rambler to the zoo and the start of the well-marked but curving Cistercian bicycle track . Lodgings and buses back to town are found just across the border of the city in Gruszczyn . The last residential area of Poznań is Zieliniec. Crossing the main road in Gruszczyn , E11 goes straight, in line with Map N-33-131/132, to Pobiedziska . E11 passes over
21033-633: The melted ice towards what became the Baltic Sea (itself also a result of the rising sea level) or the North Sea. These areas are now characterized by low-lying land, marshes, sandy old dunes (now stationary hills) alternating with older layers of peat . From the Dutch and German border to the Harz , however, E11 passes through a different and much older geological area. It consists of a range of low mountain ridges (such as
21204-485: The modern center of the city, which was heavily destroyed in the Second World War, and continue North by Szalkowo to Tynwald , then East to Samborowo . From here a blue-marked section of E11 leads to Waplewo , passing the forested tourist resort of Wysoka Wieś and the historical site of the Battle of Grunwald (1410). Between Waplewo and Olsztyn, E11 makes a long half-circle through two natural reserves. The first protects
21375-1170: The more productive areas of Eastern Europe , males average 110–130 kg (240–290 lb) in weight, 95 cm (37 in) in shoulder height and 160 cm (63 in) in body length, while females weigh 95 kg (209 lb), reach 85–90 cm (33–35 in) in shoulder height, and reach 145 cm (57 in) in body length. In Western and Central Europe , the largest males weigh 200 kg (440 lb) and females 120 kg (260 lb). In Northeastern Asia, large males can reach brown bear -like sizes, weighing 270 kg (600 lb) and measuring 110–118 cm (43–46 in) in shoulder height. Some adult males in Ussuriland and Manchuria have been recorded to weigh 300–350 kg (660–770 lb) and measure 125 cm (49 in) in shoulder height. Adults of this size are generally immune from wolf predation. Such giants are rare in modern times, as past overhunting has prevented animals from attaining their full growth. The winter coat consists of long, coarse bristles underlaid with short brown downy fur. The length of these bristles varies along
21546-606: The more recent, but also Roman Catholic past, for example the Palace of the bishops of Warmia at Smolajny , the monastery of Stoczek and the shrine of Święta Lipka . In Gołdap , E11 offers a choice between a trail marked white-green-white that comes very close to the Russian border, or a white-red-white trail along the main road to the East. Both trails meet again after 31 km in Stanczyki . The green trail passes through uninhabited woodland and should not be recommended to ramblers with
21717-466: The most favorable areas consisting of forest composed of oak and beech enclosing marshes and meadows . In the Białowieża Forest , the animal's primary habitat consists of well-developed broad-leaved and mixed forests, along with marshy mixed forests, with coniferous forests and undergrowths being of secondary importance. Forests made up entirely of oak groves and beeches are used only during
21888-421: The mother be absent, the piglets lie closely pressed to each other. By two weeks of age, the piglets begin accompanying their mother on her journeys. Should danger be detected, the piglets take cover or stand immobile, relying on their camouflage to keep them hidden. The neonatal coat fades after three months, with adult colouration being attained at eight months. Although the lactation period lasts 2.5–3.5 months,
22059-415: The name Benelux Parliament has been used de facto for a number of years now. Benelux Court of Justice: The Benelux Court of Justice is an international court. Its mission is to promote uniformity in the application of Benelux legislation. When faced with difficulty interpreting a common Benelux legal rule, national courts must seek an interpretive ruling from the Benelux Court, which subsequently renders
22230-400: The nests of ground-nesting species, killing fawns and young domestic livestock, destroying agricultural crops, eating tree seeds and seedlings, destroying native vegetation and wetlands through wallowing, damaging water quality, coming into violent conflict with humans and pets and carrying pig and human diseases including brucellosis , trichinosis and pseudorabies . In some jurisdictions, it
22401-530: The new federal government structure of Belgium. The original establishing treaty, set to expire in 2010, was replaced by a new legal framework (called the Treaty revising the Treaty establishing the Benelux Economic Union), which was signed on 17 June 2008. The new treaty has no set time limit and the name of the Benelux Economic Union changed to Benelux Union to reflect the broad scope on
22572-454: The nice but neglected old city centre. The trails follow Motorway A15 and an abandoned railway track into forest, and meets the A15 again near the bridges of Tama Brodzka . Right after the bridge, the trails turn left into a small paved forest lane leading to Bachotek , where they split. E11 makes a few curves near Jezioro Zbiczno and meets a trail marked green. Here the yellow signs are missing, but
22743-556: The open downs around Hameln (junctions with E1 ) and Coppenbrügge , near the rivers Hamel and Weser . The latter township offers the last possibility for shopping before E11 climbs the next ridge, the Ith and remains on its crest over its full length. Passing Eschershausen , medieval Alfeld (Leine) , the Helleberg ("Mount Hell") and Bad Gandersheim , E11 reaches the Harz Mountains at
22914-415: The piglets are adopted by the other sows in the sounder. Newborn piglets weigh around 600–1,000 grams, lacking underfur and bearing a single milk incisor and canine on each half of the jaw. There is intense competition between the piglets over the most milk-rich nipples, as the best-fed young grow faster and have stronger constitutions. The piglets do not leave the lair for their first week of life. Should
23085-413: The piglets begin displaying adult feeding behaviours at the age of 2–3 weeks. The permanent dentition is fully formed by 1–2 years. With the exception of the canines in males, the teeth stop growing during the middle of the fourth year. The canines in old males continue to grow throughout their lives, curving strongly as they age. Sows attain sexual maturity at the age of one year, with males attaining it
23256-514: The point where 70% of their body weight is concentrated in the posterior, which is the opposite of wild boar, where most of the muscles are concentrated on the head and shoulders. The Heude's pig ( Sus bucculentus ), also known as the Indochinese warty pig or Vietnam warty pig, was an alleged pig species found in Laos and Vietnam . It was virtually unknown and was feared extinct , until the discovery of
23427-491: The property of the Brandenburg-Prussian nobility in the 19th century and served as a green belt around Berlin and Potsdam in the 20th century. About 20 kilometers before Potsdam, E11 reaches the first of a score of lakes bordered by many former East German holiday resorts, some of which are still in use. In front of Potsdam's monumental central railway station ( Potsdam Hauptbahnhof ) E11 meets E10 , running north–south and also marked white-blue-white. Crossing Potsdam near
23598-486: The purpose of cooperation among the three partners was to put an end to customs barriers at their borders and ensure free movement of persons, capital , services , and goods between the three countries. This treaty was the first example of international economic integration in Europe since the Second World War . The three countries therefore foreshadowed and provided the model for future European integration, such as
23769-461: The railway station of Gniezno indicate distances along the red-marked trail that is E11. The 40 km to Mogilno are correct, but the distance to Kruszwica is severely exaggerated. The trail follows the road parallel to the tracks to the Northeast and turns then right into a tunnel under the railway. After another right turn, it passes through a modern industrial area, older residential quarters and
23940-481: The railway station of Trakiszki near Puńsk . There are also railway stations in the Polish city of Suwałki and the Lithuanian city of Šeštokai . Be prepared to wait long; there seems to be only one train in either direction from these places except Suwałki that offers three trains daily to Białystok. The Lithuanian part of E11 is known as "Miško takas" (“Forest Trail”). It starts at Polish - Lithuanian border near
24111-399: The railway station, and immediately right again, to follow the waterside toward the medieval Benedictine monastery. E11 turns left (East) to the lonely motel of Goryszewo Kwieciszewo , where the first white-red-white stripes since Mogilno are found. The trail passes through Jeziorki and follows a sandy dirt road to Strzelno . After Strzelno, a Polish Way of St. James follows more or less
24282-411: The rambler walks for days through agrarian and semi-industrial land, made pleasant by some ancient towns and buildings. As Poland is rather thinly populated, ramblers without tents must be prepared for daily distances between 25 and 35 kilometers. No Polish regional trail is, as a whole, part of E11. The trail rather jumps from one existing trail to another, generally after following such a trail for only
24453-570: The renewed Treaty has been reduced and thus simplified. Benelux seeks region-to-region cooperation, be it with France and Germany ( North Rhine-Westphalia ) or beyond with the Baltic States , the Nordic Council , the Visegrad countries, or even further. In 2018, a renewed political declaration was adopted between Benelux and North Rhine-Westphalia to give cooperation a further impetus. The Benelux
24624-502: The rest of the trail in Brandenburg. In Poland, E11 continues east, then northeast, to pass the cities of Międzychód , Poznań , Gniezno , Toruń , Brodnica , Iława , Olsztyn and Gołdap to the township of Ogrodniki, Sejny County on the Lithuanian border. As 30% of Poland is covered with forest, it is not surprising that most of E11 crosses through vast areas with trees (mostly planted and exploited commercially), and various wild areas, such as lakes and dunes. Near Poznań, however,
24795-410: The rolling lowlands of Northern Germany and Poland, then goes through the Baltic states. Nowhere on the way to Estonia does it touch a sea (not even the North Sea, as E11 starts in Scheveningen behind the first rows of buildings), but it passes a single medium-sized mountain range, the Harz Mountains in the center of Germany. But in Estonia on the northern shores of Lake Peipus and in some places along
24966-559: The route to help you get your bearings in nature and not lose track of the road. In populated areas, it is marked by stickers on road signs and other objects. The Forest Trail can be started from any physically available location and it can be hiked in both ways (there are markers in both directions). The most forested area of Lithuania (Lazdijai (Polish/Lithuanian border) - Nemunaitis, day 51 - 56) Benelux The Benelux Union ( Dutch : Benelux Unie ; French : Union Benelux ; Luxembourgish : Benelux-Unioun ) or Benelux
25137-414: The same for a different reason: the forested hilltops are more pleasant to walk in than the congested lower areas. From 1970, a regional hiking trail in Germany was gradually extended into The Netherlands until in 1980 the twin cities Haarlem and Osnabrück could present an ongoing international long distance path from West of Amsterdam to the then internal German border in the Harz Mountains . After
25308-407: The same route as the E11, so that the yellow and blue shells yield an alternative marking to reach Polanowice. In this soviet-industrial village two rusty signs with white-red-white stripes are found, which still clearly indicate E11 (200 km after the previous E11 sign). A rustic tree lane brings the rambler to Kruszwica , a provincial town with some interesting churches, but no clue where E11 and
25479-539: The shoulder blades rises into a hump and the neck is short and thick to the point of being nearly immobile. The animal's head is very large, taking up to one-third of the body's entire length. The structure of the head is well suited for digging. The head acts as a plough, while the powerful neck muscles allow the animal to upturn considerable amounts of soil: it is capable of digging 8–10 cm (3.1–3.9 in) into frozen ground and can upturn rocks weighing 40–50 kg (88–110 lb). The eyes are small and deep-set and
25650-406: The so-called Pentalateral Energy Forum , a regional cooperation group formed of five members—the Benelux states, France , Germany , Austria , and Switzerland . Formed on 6 June 2007, the ministers for energy from the various countries represent a total of 200 million residents and 40% of the European electricity network. In 2017 the members of the Benelux, the Baltic Assembly , three members of
25821-685: The species come from both Europe and Asia, and date back to the Early Pleistocene . By the late Villafranchian , S. scrofa largely displaced the related S. strozzii , a large, possibly swamp-adapted suid ancestral to the modern S. verrucosus throughout the Eurasian mainland, restricting it to insular Asia. Its closest wild relative is the bearded pig of Malacca and surrounding islands. As of 2005 , 16 subspecies are recognised, which are divided into four regional groupings: sahariensis (Heim de Balzac, 1937) nipponicus (Heude, 1899) mediterraneus (Ulmansky, 1911) reiseri (Bolkay, 1925) sardous (Ströbel, 1882) With
25992-446: The species was found to have lived in Finland more than 8,000 years ago. It is believed, however, that man prevented its establishment by hunting. In Denmark , the last boar was shot at the beginning of the 19th century, and by 1900 they were absent in Tunisia and Sudan and large areas of Germany, Austria and Italy. In Russia, they were extirpated in wide areas by the 1930s. The last boar in Egypt reportedly died on 20 December 1912 in
26163-424: The springs of the Łyna River , which E11 then begins to follow all the way through Olsztyn to Lidzbark Warmiński. A little further down is the conservation area of Las Warminski , which is especially interesting. It shows the results of decades of minimal management, with nature returning to its course before mankind settled in the area. Rare species may be encountered here, including the Eurasian lynx , according to
26334-513: The three countries signed the London Customs Convention , the treaty that established the Benelux Customs Union. Ratified in 1947, the treaty was in force from 1948 until it was superseded by the Benelux Economic Union. The initial form of economic cooperation expanded steadily over time, leading to the signing of the treaty establishing the Benelux Economic Union ( Benelux Economische Unie , Union Économique Benelux ) on 3 February 1958 in The Hague , which came into force on 1 November 1960. Initially,
26505-454: The time that the DEFRA population estimate was 100, a photo of a boar sounder in the forest near Staunton with over 33 animals visible was published and at about the same time over 30 boar were seen in a field near the original escape location of Weston under Penyard many kilometres or miles away. In early 2010 the Forestry Commission embarked on a cull, with the aim of reducing the boar population from an estimated 150 animals to 100. By August it
26676-427: The town centre of Toruń . From the PTTK office in Toruń , E11 is identical to a trail marked white-yellow-white, which leads all the way to Samborowo, 200 km to the Northeast. E11 and St. James Way avoid the historical town center of Toruń and pass between the old city walls and the river Wisla , but it is far more interesting to cross the city center from the PTTK office by Różana, Szeroka and Wielkie Garbary to
26847-587: The town of Lazdijai in Lithuania and passes through Dzūkija National Park and Žemaitija National Park and eight regional nature parks in Lithuania. The total length of the route in Lithuania is 747 km and it is divided into 5 sections: Dzūkija ethnographic region, Along Nemunas river loops, Kaunas and Kaunas District, Along the banks of the Dubysa river valley, Žemaitija ethnographic region. These sections are divided into ~20 km long stages with accommodation and transport options. There are specific markers (white-orange-white) on trees and other objects along
27018-432: The town of Seelow . From here, the rambler may choose a more western trail over the hills of Lebus to Jacobsdorf or, more to the East, the trail that, after the village of Reitwein , follows the River Oder to the South. Both variants meet each other in Frankfurt (Oder) , where the German part of E11 ends on the bridge over the Oder to Poland. In Brandenburg and Berlin, E11 is marked in various ways. This part of E11
27189-401: The township of Seesen . Although the mountain range offers summits of 1000 meters and more (the famous Brocken is over 1100 meters high), E11 does not climb higher than 500 meters and keeps mostly to the lower parts of the northern slopes. It crosses through a few townships well known from early German history: Goslar (junctions with E6 ) and Bad Harzburg . The little River Ecker used to be
27360-437: The trail. The trail can be walked at any time of year, but the Polish winter is long, with a lot of snow. The highest point of E11 is 514 meters on the slopes of the Harz Mountains, whereas the lowest point is slightly under sea level in one of the polders in the West of The Netherlands. Apart from getting lost in the vast Polish forests, there seem to be few hazards other than the occasional wild boar or gray wolf , or even
27531-467: The train station of Toruń-Miasto. Out of town, the trails follow a main road till Fort Sobieskiego. They turn right into the forest near the river Wisla , enter suburbs and later pass through forest for a couple of hours. After crossing the busy motorway A10 near Brzozówka , E11 turns left into an overgrown footpath between fields and later reaches Mierzynek over a sandy road. From Lelitowo to Ciechocin and again to Golub-Dobrzyń , E11 continues through
27702-507: The union. The main objectives of the treaty are the continuation and enlargement of the cooperation between the three member states within a larger European context. The renewed treaty explicitly foresees the possibility that the Benelux countries will cooperate with other European member states or with regional cooperation structures. The new Benelux cooperation focuses on three main topics: internal market and economic union, sustainability, justice and internal affairs. The number of structures in
27873-440: The unlawful killing of a boar. Charles I attempted to reintroduce the species into the New Forest , but this population was exterminated in the 17th century during the English Civil War . Between their medieval extinction and the 1980s, when wild boar farming began, only a handful of captive wild boar, imported from the continent, were present in Britain. Occasional escapes of wild boar from wildlife parks have occurred as early as
28044-403: The way. Once a sounder has been located, the male drives off all young animals and persistently chases the sows. At this point, the male fiercely fights potential rivals. A single male can mate with 5–10 sows. By the end of the rut, males are often badly mauled and have lost 20% of their body weight, with bite-induced injuries to the penis being common. The gestation period varies according to
28215-467: The website Spazieren.de. In its present form, from Bad Bentheim to Osnabrück, the Töddenweg measures 110 kilometers. It is marked by stickers with a white capital T on a black square, or by a simple T painted on trees and walls. It cruises slightly elevated above the surrounding agrarian land. The continuation after Osnabrück's monumental railway station is called Wittekindsweg (Widukind's Way), named after Widukind , an 8th-Century war leader who long upheld
28386-433: Was created in 1955. This parliamentary assembly is composed of 49 members from the respective national parliaments (21 members of the Dutch parliament, 21 members of the Belgian national and regional parliaments, and 7 members of the Luxembourg parliament). Its members inform and advise their respective governments on all Benelux matters. On 20 January 2015, the governments of the three countries, including, as far as Belgium
28557-560: Was held in Luxembourg. In 2020, a Benelux summit was held – online, due to the COVID-19 pandemic – under Dutch Presidency on 7 October between the prime ministers. As of 1 January 2017, a new arrangement for NATO Air Policing started for the airspace of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg (Benelux). The Belgian Air Component and the Royal Netherlands Air Force will take four-month turns to ensure that Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) fighter jets are available at all times to be launched under NATO control. The Benelux countries also work together in
28728-443: Was limited to a period of 50 years. During the following years, and even more so after the creation of the European Union, the Benelux cooperation focused on developing other fields of activity within a constantly changing international context. At the end of the 50 years, the governments of the three Benelux countries decided to renew the agreement, taking into account the new aspects of the Benelux-cooperation – such as security – and
28899-570: Was more interested in himself attacking to the East and saw no need for a defense system that, from his point of view, lay somewhere inland in his dreamed Great Germany. The spot offers now the unique possibility of following E11 underground. The blue trail carries E11 on to the township of Gościkowo, where the Paradyż Abbey sometimes hosts tired ramblers overnight, provided they accept the sober rules of monk life. After Gościkowo, white-green-white marks lead through some 30 km of forest to Bobowicko. Actually, between Kursko and Bobowicko, E11 follows
29070-450: Was shot and incinerated. Wild boar rest in shelters, which contain insulating material like spruce branches and dry hay . These resting places are occupied by whole families (though males lie separately) and are often located in the vicinity of streams, in swamp forests and in tall grass or shrub thickets. Boars never defecate in their shelters and will cover themselves with soil and pine needles when irritated by insects. The wild boar
29241-433: Was stated that efforts were being made to reduce the population from 200 to 90, but that only 25 had been killed. The failure to meet cull targets was confirmed in February 2011. Wild boars have crossed the River Wye into Monmouthshire , Wales. Iolo Williams, the BBC Wales wildlife expert, attempted to film Welsh boar in late 2012. Many other sightings, across the UK, have also been reported. The effects of wild boar on
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