It tastes best fresh from the field. In the Rhineland Nature Park, you will find numerous farms with their own farm store or farm café. Shopping on site is not only sustainable, but also a real experience. Many farm stores not only sell regional products, but also offer guided tours where visitors can learn about cultivation and processing.
A very special regional specialty - and a protected trademark - is Brühl-Bornheim asparagus. The growing area is clearly defined and stretches from Brühl Castle Park along the foot of the foothills to Bonn. The delicious asparagus is available directly from the farm at harvest time. Or you can come to the annual asparagus festival, where the harbinger of spring is celebrated and an asparagus queen is traditionally crowned.
Bicycle or feet?
Always follow the worm! And preferably in April or May. At fruit blossom time. Or in the fall, when the harvest is underway. The Rhenish Orchard Route, which has been awarded the Wurm, is ideal for experienced bikers and relaxed part-time cyclists. There are nine stations to discover along the tour, which provide a short break and information about the orchards in the region. Look out for the sweet trees! When the different old varieties bear fruit, you can try them here.
Would you like a bit more of a challenge? The Rhenish Apple Route takes you along 124 kilometers of blossoming orchards, colourful vegetable fields, regional farm stores and romantic half-timbered houses. If you don't want to cycle the whole route, you can choose one of the six side loops for day trips. A must: make a stop at a farm along the route. During a farm tour, you will learn a lot about fruit growing in the region.
For those who prefer to hike along the large orchards and meadow orchards, there are nature park routes ranging from 3-27 kilometers in length. Such as the Kappesweg, which passes three organic farms. It's best to set off between mid-April and mid-May. This is when the landscape turns into a veritable sea of delicate pink and white flowers.
Fire, water, air and earth
Four elements. Four nature park centers. They tell stories about the creation of the nature park and how man has shaped it. Especially popular with children: The Gymnicher Mühle center - with a multimedia hands-on museum at river kilometer 51 and a large water adventure park. For tinkering, observing and discovering.
