The best mountain hikes in Cologne

From the Lüderich hill, which rises to around 260 meters, the view stretches far across the Bergisches Land region. To the west, the landscape opens up towards the Cologne Lowland, where the hills gradually give way to flatter terrain. On clear days, you can even see the Cologne Cathedral. Traces of the mining that once took place around the Lüderich are still visible.

The Kupfersiefer Valley near Rösrath is a protected landscape area that perfectly showcases the diversity of the Bergisches Land region's valleys. Here, the stream meanders naturally for extended stretches, accompanied by damp meadows, old groves, and wooded slopes. The valley provides a habitat for numerous animal and plant species. As you walk through this approximately 65-hectare nature reserve, you can enjoy peace and quiet far removed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

At Hauptstraße 310-312 in Rösrath, you can view the historic site of the Reusch Villas (exterior only). The Karl Reusch Villa (built in 1896) and the Kurt Reusch Villa (built in 1894) stand together in a large English-style park with mature trees. These two villas are among a total of four villas owned by the Reusch brothers. The other pink villa can still be admired on "Am Hammer," a street branching off the main street.

There are some beautiful half-timbered houses here; a lovely, winding place. The half-timbered houses are in the typical Bergisch colors with green shutters.

There are always enough Bergische e-bikes waiting at Rösrath train station (unlike at Rösrath-Stümpen train station). Because of the charging stations, almost all batteries are full. If you have a d-ticket on a chip card, you can ride rental bikes in the VRS for free for the first half hour; after that, you can ride for 1 euro per half hour. My 15 km route cost just 2 euros. Important: Small errors often occur in the billing. But these can always be quickly corrected using the Nextbike hotline. https://dasbergische.de/poi/e-bike-verleihstation-bahnhof-roesrath Return in Lohmar at the town hall. The RSVG charging stations are also approved for Bergische e-bikes (although it doesn't say so). Conclusion: I don't want to give up my own bike. But rented e-bikes are a great change. I can even take untrained friends with me on my favorite route.

There are always enough Bergische e-bikes waiting at Rösrath train station (unlike Rösrath-Stümpen). Thanks to the charging stations, almost all of the batteries are full. Anyone who has a d-ticket on a chip card can ride rental bikes in the VRS for free for the first half hour; after that, they cost 1 euro per half hour. My 15 km route cost just 2 euros. Important! Small errors often occur in the billing. But they can be quickly corrected using the Nextbike hotline. https://www.dasbergische.de/poi/e-bike-verleihstation-bahnhof-roesrath Drop off in Lohmar at the town hall. There are no charging stations here. That's why the next person who wants to start in Lohmar might not get a full battery. Conclusion: I don't want to give up my own MTB. But rented e-bikes are a great change. They allow me to take untrained friends with me on my favorite route.

"While the Volberg church became Protestant in the 16th century and the Catholics moved to the church in Altenrath, the Catholic nobles from the houses of Stade, Venauen and Eulenbroich managed to bring Augustinian monks to Rösrath. The monastery was dissolved in the 19th century. The monastery church became the parish church of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino in 1853..." (Source: Inscription plaque on the church building)

Using the power of moving water to drive a mill wheel is an ancient invention of the human spirit of discovery, the origins of which can be traced back to times long past. Thanks to such a construction, human or animal muscle power could be easily replaced by the power of the natural elements through a watercourse - natural or artificially created - in order to grind grain into corn or press oil from fruit, for example. There are essentially two different ways of driving watermills: * Either the flowing water simply hits the blades of the water wheel from below to set it in motion; or * the water is guided above the wheel - usually through a so-called "mill channel" - and falls onto the blades; this type of construction is more efficient due to natural gravity.