Route tip 101 - 2nd cycling experience day Lower Rhine 2025

The starting point chosen is Erkelenz (Info point Erkelenz: Old Town Hall, Market).

From the Info point Old Town Hall, Market, the route goes via the Johannismarkt and the Burgstraße to Node point (KP) 81 and then out of town to KP 86. The KP 80 on the outskirts of Rath-Anhoven is the next destination and it leads you to KP 70 in Beeck. Alongside a stream, you proceed to KP 71 in Wegberg. From here, it is only a few meters to the Wegberger Mill towards KP 72.

From the Info point Wegberger Mill, you cycle towards KP 72 through the valley of the Schwalm. At the end of Tüschenbroich stands KP 73. Now follow the signs to KP 74 on the outskirts of Wildenrath. Over KP 75 the path goes through the forest down the edge of the Wassenberg Horst to KP 26 and to KP 25 in Effeld. Nearby is the Info point Effeld (Village centre Mittendrin, Kreuzstraße 26). Now ride over KPs 15, 23 and 22 along the Rur to KP 21 in Wassenberg. Then head towards KP 29 to the corner of Parkstraße / Pontorsonallee and turn left uphill over Pontorsonallee to the Info point Wassenberg Nature Park Gate. Back to the corner Pontorsonallee / Parkstraße and then straight on to KP 29 in Myhl. This leads you to KP 93 near Kleingladbach. KP 84 lies in the open Börde landscape. At KP 81 in Erkelenz, cycle via the Burgstraße and Johannismarkt to the Info point Erkelenz, Old Town Hall, Market.

Attractions along the route:

From Info point Erkelenz, Old Town Hall, Market it goes to KP 81, then to KP 86 outside of the town and on to KP 80 on the outskirts of Rath-Anhoven. On the way to the next node point, you pass a newly built windmill. A few meters from the place where the historic Holtumer Windmill once stood, a new structure has been built in recent years on private initiative as the only windmill in the Wegberg city area. The sails are still missing, but the imposing mill building already rises about 15 meters above the flat landscape.

A short detour from KP 70 in Beeck is worthwhile to the Folk Costume and/or Flax Museum. https://beecker-erlebnismuseen.de

On the Beeckbach lies the Ophover Mill, probably built in the 14th century. The name derives from the noble family “von Ophoven”. This family had a motte with a court complex near the mill. The mill was a grain mill with two grinding runs and an undershot water wheel. From 1867, it also operated with a steam engine drive. As the last mill in Wegberg still powered by water, it ceased operations in 1965. Today there is a restaurant with a beer garden here.

KP 71 is located below the church St. Peter and Paul and from here it is only a few meters to the Info point Wegberger Mill. From here, cycle through a park and shortly thereafter cross the Borderland Ring. This circuit was used in the mid-20th century as a car and motorcycle racetrack until a serious accident occurred. Through the Schwalm lowlands, past some water mills, the way goes to KP 72 at Tüschenbroich Castle. Besides the castle, two water mills and the motte in the middle of the lake are worth seeing. Maybe you would also enjoy a boat trip or a round of mini-golf.

Through Tüschenbroich, the route leads to KP 73 and on to KP 74 in Wildenrath. You cycle into the area of a former military airfield which today houses a test centre for rail vehicles. Near the node point at the entrance to Wildenrath is a former Franconian farm that became a knight's estate in the Middle Ages. House Wildenrath was owned by the Counts of Wassenberg in the 12th century. The current buildings date from the 17th century and were used as a farm until the 1960s. Today, the complex belongs to the city of Wegberg and in 1970 the Schwalm Nette Nature Park established Germany's first environmental education centre here. In 2003, the German Nature Conservation Association (NABU) leased the house. Ecological research is carried out and numerous nature education programs are offered, including landscape management and the preservation of endangered domestic and farm animal breeds. https://www.naturschutzstationwildenrath.de/

From House Wildenrath narrow paths lead through the Schaagbachtal nature reserve – especially worth mentioning is the premium hiking trail “Birgeler Urwald”: www.wa-wa-we.eu/de/touren/birgeler-urwald

At the exit of Wildenrath is KP 75, which leads you through the forest of the Wassenberg Horst down the slope edge to KP 26.

KP 25 lies in the middle of Effeld. Nearby at Kreuzstraße 26 is the Info point in the village centre Mittendrin. Asparagus has been cultivated in this small village since the mid-20th century. Between 1950 and 1960 many of the smaller farms had to close for economic reasons. The agricultural chamber was looking for crops that would allow farmers to continue working. Experts suggested that those in Effeld with the poor sandy soils try asparagus cultivation. Initially met with suspicion by most residents, a few started growing this noble vegetable. It worked and more and more former farmers soon took up asparagus cultivation as a sideline.
Today Effeld is known far beyond the borders of NRW as a cultivation area. The gastronomy sector presents this noble vegetable to guests in season from May to June. Gourmets come from far and wide to enjoy it. The life in the village has changed due to this new source of income. Fifty years ago, hardly anyone knew the small village hidden behind forest away from main roads; now it has become a popular destination thanks to asparagus and recreational facilities at the Effeld forest lake. The asparagus festival is also due to the asparagus cultivation. What started around 1985 as a parish or village festival is now held renewed each year on Ascension Day as a large open-air music party with many bands (Tickets only, pre-sale, www.effelder-spargelfest.de).

Further on to KP 15 at the Rur and over KP 23 you reach the Rur bridge near Orsbeck. On the other side of the river lies KP 22, but after reaching B 221 you turn left to KP 21 in Wassenberg and further towards KP 29 to the corner of Parkstraße / Pontorsonallee. Here turn left and uphill to the Info point Wassenberg (Nature Park Gate, Pontorsonallee 16, 41849 Wassenberg).

Emperor Henry II gave his vassal Gerhard von Antoing the land on the lower Rur in 1021. After the expansion of the motte, today’s Burgberg, he called himself “Count of Wassenberg.” One of his descendants, Count Gerhard III, founded the St. George’s Basilica in 1118. In the 12th century, Wassenberg came under the Duchy of Limburg. Wassenberg already had town rights in 1273 and was protected by a partly preserved wall with defensive towers. The keep (castle) and church tower were built after 1400.
In the Reformation, the Wassenberg preachers who belonged to the Anabaptist faith were active here. In the 17th century there was a Reformed congregation which had its own court church as a minority. Another minority were Jews who had a small synagogue until 1938, destroyed the day after the Reich Pogrom Night.
After the revolutionary wars until 1814, Wassenberg belonged to the French Roer Department and came to Prussia after the Congress of Vienna. In the 16th and 17th centuries Dutch religious refugees brought weaving craft to Wassenberg. This developed into a flourishing textile industry by the late 19th century, which slowly disappeared from the entire region starting in the 1960s.
Many relics from past times can still be seen in the town: remains of the city walls, the castle with its medieval keep or villas of the textile owners and parks as well as gardens from the time when Wassenberg was a well-known health resort. This title has been held by the town again since 2024. Take a stroll through the town and have a look around.

From the Info point, downhill and straight ahead, it goes towards KP 29 in Myhl and later you reach KP 93 at the entrance to Kleingladbach. This leads to KP 84 in the Börde landscape.

KP 81 lies near the Info point Erkelenz, Old Town Hall, Market, which you reach via Burgstraße and Johannismarkt.

In Erkelenz town centre, various gastronomy offers attract guests to the market square. Worth seeing here are the Old Town Hall and the towering spire of St. Lambertus.

To participate in the cycling experience day raffle, you need a smartphone to scan QR codes. This involves questions that can only be answered and entered at the starting points. Photos can also be uploaded and posted. Registration is voluntary; you can also join without it. The previous central raffle has been replaced by an online competition. There are three high-quality prizes to be won. Therefore, starter cards are no longer available.

Furthermore, you are well equipped for the route with weather-appropriate clothing, enough water, and some food.

Please observe the cycling traffic rules and be considerate to others.

By bicycle

Whether you arrive from Germany or the Netherlands, the cycling network in Heinsberger Land is seamlessly connected to all adjacent regional networks via its node points, allowing you to enter from all directions without difficulty. Long-distance cycling networks that connect to the region include the RurUfer Cycle Path, the NiederRhein Route, and the Green Route. When arriving by car/train/bus and bike, you can find a convenient entry point into the network from every station or tourist destination.

By car

Heinsberger Land is accessible via the federal motorways A 52 (north), A 46 (east) and A 44 (south) as well as the Dutch A 2 (west). The cities Aachen, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Duisburg and Mönchengladbach as well as Maastricht and Eindhoven in the Netherlands are no more than 60 kilometers away.
The main federal roads run north-south as B 221 and B 57, and east-west as B 56 and B 56n, which connects the gap between A 46 and Dutch A 2. For local traffic, a dense network of state, district and municipal roads is available. Pay attention to the local tourist signs; they will safely guide you to your destinations.

By plane

From the internationally important airports Düsseldorf International and Cologne-Bonn Airport, Heinsberger Land is reachable by car in 45 and 60 minutes respectively. Airport Weeze in the northern Lower Rhine region and the airports Eindhoven Airport and Aachen-Maastricht Airport in the Netherlands are also about an hour's drive away.

By train

Heinsberger Land is connected to the German rail network by three railway lines. The Aachen – (Heinsberg) – Düsseldorf line allows arrival via the stations Übach-Palenberg, Geilenkirchen, Lindern, Brachelen, Baal, and Erkelenz. From Lindern, it goes to Heinsberg (HS) via the stations HS-Randerath, HS-Horst, HS-Porselen, HS-Dremmen, HS-Oberbruch, HS-Kreishaus. The greater Wegberg area is reachable via the Dalheim – Rheydt/Mönchengladbach route (stations: Dalheim, Arsbeck, Wegberg). There is also a connection to the Dutch stations Roermond and Sittard via the Aachen – Eindhoven route.

This route is accessible from the stations Erkelenz and Wegberg.

www.bahn.de

By bus

The local bus network in Heinsberger Land is operated by WestVerkehr GmbH and is connected to the Aachen Transport Association (AVV). AVV tariffs apply. More information and timetable enquiries: www.avv.de

Additionally, the so-called MultiBus is available throughout the district. It is an on-demand service from WestVerkehr GmbH. Passengers simply call about 60 minutes before planned departure and get information on when the MultiBus will pick them up at the next MultiBus stop (Tel.: +49 2431 886688). More information: www.west-verkehr.de

Train & bike

Generally, travel by train and bike is possible without problems. The Deutsche Bahn timetable indicates which trains carry bicycle wagons. Since space for bicycles is limited, groups should register with the railway in advance. www.bahn.de

Bus & bike

On the bus lines in Heinsberger Land, bicycle transportation is allowed Monday to Friday from 7 p.m., Saturdays from 3 p.m., and all day on Sundays and public holidays. A maximum of 2 bicycles are carried per vehicle.

By bus and bike through Heinsberger Land - the "Heinsberg Region Bicycle Bus"

During the season, the "Heinsberg Region Bicycle Bus" brings excursionists with and without bikes to the respective start points of their routes on all Saturdays as well as Sundays and public holidays and picks them up again. While you sit comfortably in a west-MultiBus, your bike is safely transported in the accompanying bicycle trailer. The buses have seating capacities for 7 people. The accompanying bike trailer can carry up to 16 bicycles. By the way: If you arrive by train, the bicycle bus also picks you up directly at the stations in the Heinsberg region. The bicycle buses operate between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. and cover numerous stops. They do not follow fixed routes or fixed timetables. Instead, you can order the bicycle bus via the MultiBus control centre to your desired stop at your desired time. To book a place for your desired appointment on the westBicycleBus, call the MultiBus hotline 02431/886688 (at least one day before the tour). Whether cycling or hiking, with the bicycle bus you can conveniently access the most beautiful routes in Heinsberger Land and enjoy a relaxed start or finish of your tour. A tariff overview and special offers for groups can be found at www.west-verkehr.de

The Selfkantbahn,

the only and last narrow-gauge steam railway in North Rhine-Westphalia, is not only a popular excursion destination but still serves as a means of transport: passengers and their bicycles are welcome. It usually runs from Easter to the end of September on Sundays and public holidays between the stations Gangelt-Schierwaldenrath and Geilenkirchen-Gillrath. www.selfkantbahn.de

Wegberg: Parking lot at the Wegberger Mill (paid) or parking lot on Venloer Straße

Wassenberg: Parking lot at the Nature Park Gate, Pontorsonallee 16, 41849 Wassenberg

Erkelenz: Parking lot at the castle, Dr.-Josef-Hahn-Platz

WFG for the district of Heinsberg mbH
Heinsberger Land
Tel.: +49 2452 131415   Fax: 131419
E-mail: info@heinsberger-land.de
Internet: www.heinsberger-land.de

Visit the Beecker Experience Museums - a flax and a folk costume museum - in Wegberg-Beeck.
Information at: https://beecker-erlebnismuseen.de