Natural wonders

A visit to the Neandertal is a journey into the past of man and nature: Ice Age animals can be found here as well as traces of the famous Neanderthal man.

What they saw behind the cloud of dust in the rock during blasting in the summer of 1907 left the quarry workers in the Sauerland region breathless: a labyrinth of wonderfully shaped stalactites opened up before their eyes. Artfully grown stalagmites and stalactites emerged from the darkness like stone curtains hanging from the rock ceiling - more impressive than any sculptor could have created.

Imagine standing in front of gigantic rocks that jut out of the earth like giant spikes and reach towards the sky. The Externsteine in the Teutoburg Forest are just such an impressive natural wonder. These mighty sandstone formations tell a fascinating story that takes you into the depths of the earth's history and beyond.

In North Rhine-Westphalia's only national park, nature does what it wants. And that's a good thing. Discover the wild and impetuous landscape in the Eifel. Alone, with the family or accompanied by a ranger.

Numerous plant and animal species, the special geological history and ramparts from the Iron Age make the rocks near Olsberg a National Natural Monument in NRW and a true natural wonder.

The Kluterthöhle cave in Ennepetal not only offers an impressive natural spectacle of underground lakes, mysterious passages and fossilized creatures, it is also a "climate cave" and the venue for extraordinary cultural events.

Exotic birds have settled in the "Zwillbrocker Venn" nature and bird sanctuary. Wild flamingos have chosen the area in Münsterland as their breeding ground, making it the northernmost flamingo breeding colony in Europe. The pink birds can be observed here from March to July and, if breeding is successful, until September. If you want to get close to them, you can hop on your bike, as the 450-kilometre-long Flamingo Route leads right past the long-legged birds.