Diersfordter Wald, © Tourismus NRW e.V.

Lower Rhine


Ex­pans­ive land­scapes with many high­lights

With its expansive landscape, the Lower Rhine is a popular holiday destination – even in winter. Because that is when thousands of wild geese come to spend the winter in the Rhine wetlands – a unique natural spectacle. And it’s not just Arctic geese that flock to the region between the Rhine and Maas: cyclists appreciate the many trails lined with gnarled willow trees that run past idyllic river wetlands and moors. For art lovers, the Lower Rhine offers rewarding excursion destinations with museums, parks and castles.
 

Cyclist on the Rhine cycle path near Xanten, © Dominik Ketz, Tourismus NRW e.V.

Junc­tion points show the way

In the recreational region of Heinsberg, cyclists can cycle by numbers. A total of 90 junction points show you the way. And cycling on tracks is also possible: with the "Grenzland-Draisine” (frontier trolley), couples, families and groups can explore the area around Kleve and Kranenburg. Anyone who would prefer not to travel under their own steam can take the Selfkantbahn railway, the last narrow-gauge steam engine in North Rhine-Westphalia.

In order to explore the natural surrounding of the Lower Rhine on foot, a trip to nature park Schwalm-Nette is well worth it: between picturesque moors, tranquil lakes and idyllic riverside forests, nature can be experienced in its purest form and you can feel perfectly relaxed.

Break at Moyland Castle while cycling on the Rhine Cycle Route, © Dominik Ketz, Tourismus NRW e.V.

Joseph Beuys and Ro­man his­tory

Many galleries on the Lower Rhine are dedicated to contemporary art. Museum Schloss Moyland in Bedburg-Hau, for example, is home to the international Joseph Beuys Archive, among other things, and is also worth visiting for its historic gardens and park landscape. Anyone who would like a glimpse into the past can visit Germany’s biggest open-air archaeological museum. The only Roman city north of the Alps is to be found on the grounds of Xanten Archaeological Park. The centrepiece of the park is the LVR-Römermuseum, which tells the story of Xanten’s 400-year Roman history based on original finds from the Roman city and the legion camps.

Apropos the past: the castles, fortresses and manor houses, which act as stone witnesses to Lower Rhine history in many locations, are definitely worth visiting.

  • View from the shore to the Diersfordter Waldsee at the Lower Rhine at sunset, © Tourismus NRW e.V.
    Typical pollarded willows on the Lower Rhine, © Ralph Sondermann, Tourismus NRW e.V.
    Blässgänse am Niederrhein, © Sebastian Hennigs
  • View from below of a flock of birds in the air in the Lower Rhine area, © Tourismus NRW e.V.
    View of the city of Xanten on the Lower Rhine from above, © Tourismus NRW e.V.
    Cycling on the Lower Rhine, © Dominik Ketz, Tourismus NRW e.V.

More in­form­a­tion

Discover it now!

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The legionaries stand to attention in the arena, © Axel Thünker DGPh

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Xanten, APX, Fundamente des römischen Stadtbades, © Axel Thuenker dgph

Ar­chae­olo­gic­al Park Xanten

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Mairitt im Freilichtmuseum, © Niederrheinisches Freilichtmuseum

Doren­burg Open-Air Mu­seum in Gre­frath in the Lower Rhine

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Krefeld

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Schloss Moyland ist ein Wasserschloss bei Bedburg-Hau, © Dominik Ketz, Tourismus NRW e.V.

Moy­land Castle in Bed­burg-Hau

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Mu­seum In­sel Hom­broi­ch in Neuss

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Schloss Dyck Jüchen

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Digital Church Aachen interior view, © Johannes Höhn

Cowork­ing Spaces

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View of the Düsseldorf Media Harbor including the Rhine Tower, © Tourismus NRW e.V.

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KD-Ship on the Rhine in Cologne, © Johannes Höhn

Co­logne

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