Trails of art in Nean­der­land

Wheth­er Neander­th­al sil­hou­ettes or mutant an­im­als, the Mettmann dis­trict of­fers plenty of art in pub­lic spaces.

Whether Neanderthal silhouettes or mutant animals, neanderland offers plenty of art in public spaces. Numerous shorter and longer walks and hiking trails in the Mettmann district invite visitors to discover these treasures.

For example, in the world-famous Neander Valley, hikers can search for “MenschenSpuren” (“human traces”). Although only 1.2 km in length, this circuit takes in works by eleven artists, all of which deal with the interplay between humans and nature. Anyone interested in learning more about the history of this can enjoy the audio guide on offer. Hikers with headphones can listen to interviews with the artists presenting their works. These headphones are available from various locations including the Neanderthal Museum desk.

In the south of neanderland, the “Von Menschenhand” (“By Human Hand”) art and sculpture path runs from Mettmann to Wülfrath. There are six sculptures to discover, three of which are in the Mettmann municipal forest. In Hilden, the “Pfad der Skulpturen” (“Sculpture Path”) takes in 13 pieces and completes a circuit of the entire town centre in approximately four kilometres.

In touch with contemporary art

In the north of neanderland, hikers in the literary town of Velbert-Langenberg can enjoy close contact with art throughout the city thanks to the “Tuchfühlung” project. In Heiligenhaus, there is art on display around the Museum Abtsküche. In Ratingen, the ten stages of the “Skulpturale Erscheinungen” (“Sculptural Appearances”) art trail carve their way through the entire urban area. The Sculptural Appearances trail stretches from Düsseldorf’s city limits in the west to Angertal in the east, near the Mariendom (St. Mary’s Cathedral) in Velbert-Neviges and the Neander Valley. Interaction with the landscape is a common element to all these outdoor sculptures.

Activity maps with more information on the different trails are available and include the towns of Erkrath, Haan, Heiligenhaus, Hilden, Mettmann, Ratingen, Velbert and Wülfrath.