Whether wide natural landscapes, stately moated castles or historic old towns - nature and art lovers alike get their money's worth on the Lower Rhine, and often without barriers. The Schwalm-Nette Nature Park alone offers ten easy, accessible hiking trails for families as well as for people with and without disabilities.
Time travel in Xanten
Pass through a city gate into the historic old town of Xanten. In good weather, there is always something going on at the Xanten market, where visitors can sit down in one of the cafés and enjoy an ice cream. St Viktor's Cathedral rises majestically above the town. There are numerous art treasures in the former collegiate church.
A Roman city once stood here, the Colonia Ulpia Traiana. In today's Xanten Archaeological Park, which is Germany's largest open-air archaeological museum, parts of the city have been reconstructed - including the city wall, harbour temple and amphitheatre. A Roman museum now stands on the foundations of the Basilica Thermarum, which was once the entrance hall of a Roman city bath.
Museum island and modern art
For art lovers, the numerous museums, castles and fortresses in the Lower Rhine region are worth a visit. Museum Schloss Moyland , for example, is a medieval moated castle surrounded by extensive gardens with a sculpture park and herb garden. The castle itself is a museum of modern and contemporary art and is home to almost 6,000 works by Joseph Beuys. A very special place for art in nature is the Museum Insel Hombroich. Exhibition pavilions stand individually in the landscape on the huge area with old trees, wide meadows and a classicist villa and are intended to enable a direct encounter between people and art in nature.
