Bensberger Schlossweg in Bergisch Gladbach (ramble #13) - Bergisches Land Nature Park

Attention: The chronology of the pictures and the route I hiked do not match the hike because I imported the planned tour again. Hiked KM 10.6 in 2:20 hours. I chose the Bergischer Streifzug #13 for today's hike, which I have hiked in a similar form before. Today's hiking break was at the Naturfreundehaus Hardt. Varied hike with interesting history and some highlights. Here is the link to the hike: https://www.komoot.com/de-de/smarttour/e1231364690/bensberger-schlossweg-in-bergisch-gladbach-streifzug-13-naturpark-bergisches-land

The Bensberg Castle Trail is a circular hiking trail, also known as "Bergisch Gladbach Stroll No. 13." On this circular hiking trail, you can discover the castles and palaces and gather a wealth of interesting historical insights. We park our car in the parking lot near Bensberg Castle. Bensberg Town Hall In the Middle Ages, a ring castle, also known as the Old Bensberg Castle, stood here. Once the seat of the Counts of Berg, the castle developed into a hunting lodge before declining in importance when Elector Jan Wellem had a new, magnificent hunting lodge built in the 18th century (today's Bensberg Castle). In the 19th century, a hospital and a convent for nuns were established in the premises of the old castle. Bensberg Castle Bensberg Castle stands proud and magnificent. The hunting lodge that Elector Jan Wellem had built at the beginning of the 18th century, modeled on Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. After the Elector's death, interest in Bensberg Palace waned, so it housed a military hospital for the Imperial Austrian troops at the end of the 18th century before being occupied by French troops shortly thereafter. Over the years, the palace served various purposes. It was used as a barracks, a National Socialist reformatory, and after the war, as a boarding school for the Belgian armed forces. Today, the palace houses a 5-star hotel. Spring fountain in the Milchborntalbach stream a small, quietly babbling stream. French Cemetery In the middle of the Hardt Forest lies the French Cemetery, where soldiers of the Napoleonic troops were buried. Many of them died of typhus and were buried here in the forest due to the danger of epidemics. During the French occupation, Bensberg Palace served as a military hospital. In memory of the former cemetery, a cross surrounded by a fence was erected at this spot. Imperial Cemetery But not only the French suffered numerous losses; Austrian and Prussian soldiers also died daily from disease and wounds. They, too, posed a danger to the survivors and were therefore also buried in the Hardter Forest in the Imperial Cemetery. Approximately 3,000 dead were buried in this mass grave. A memorial with a turret and the inscription "Erected 1854 Franz Josef, Emperor of Austria" stands in their honor. Incidentally, the memorial cross was built according to a plan by the master builder of Cologne Cathedral. We continue our hike along the Bensberg Castle Trail through forests and meadows. Lerbach Castle The Lerbach estate was first mentioned in documents in the 13th century. In the 17th century, the manor was converted into a Renaissance castle. In the following years, the moated castle changed hands and families several times until it was demolished at the end of the 19th century. In its place, a new manor house was built in the style of an English country house, which was converted into a luxury hotel in the 1990s, which also housed a gourmet restaurant. However, Lerbach Castle has been closed for several years. Lerbach Estate Milk Station After a few minutes' walk, we pass a farm with a "milk station." Here, you can get your own milk from a vending machine. You can also purchase items like eggs, yogurt, ice cream, and cheese from a vending machine. Hardt Nature Friends House We've chosen the Hardt Nature Friends House for our break. We drink a Kölsch beer and continue on... Milkborntal Cadet Pond The Bensberg Cadet Pond is located in the middle of the Hardt Nature Reserve. The Cadet Pond was created in the mid-19th century as a bathing lake for the cadets of the military training institute at the nearby Bensberg Castle, where approximately 5,000 Prussian cadets were trained between 1840 and 1918! Bergisches Museum for Mining, Crafts and Trade It's a small but fine open-air museum that tells the story of earlier life and work in the Bergisches Land region. And that concludes our hiking route along the Bensberg Castle Trail.

The early bird...nice, shady stroll before breakfast 😎

Today we walked the Bensberg Castle Trail with 17 lively hikers. Perfect hiking weather and a cheerful group led us to start in Bensberg, with a view of the old castle and the extension of Bensberg's town hall, the so-called "Apefelsen," and then continue past Bensberg Castle, now a luxury hotel. We left the town past the castle's outer walls and walked past the French cemetery and the Lerbach estate (currently being converted into a hotel). We stopped at the Hardt Nature Friends House. We continued past a prehistoric settlement and ditch system (recognizable to us only by an information board). We reached Bensberg via an outdoor recreation area, again with a beautiful view of Cologne. We returned to Brühl by public transport. Thanks to the group, it was fun with you!

On the Bensberger Schlossweg circular hiking trail you can discover the palaces and castles of Bergisch Gladbach and collect a lot of interesting historical impressions. Find out more about the idyllic foray No. 13 at: https://www.netreisetagebuch.de/bensberger-schlossweg

The Bensberg Castle Trail is the idyllic excursion no. 13. Here we passed the castles and palaces of Bergisch Gladbach, the so-called "Monkey Rock" of Bensberg, mass graves in the forest and a historically prepared drinking water supply and much more... And we enjoyed the whole thing in the most beautiful winter sun, even if it got quite chilly towards the end 🥶

The Bensberg Castle Trail didn't live up to my expectations. It lacked a certain highlight. It's alright as a Sunday afternoon stroll after Mass. The journey there and back was quite an adventure. Judging by the number of construction sites, it felt like every third street was torn up, and all the detours basically led in circles. The red lights alone were worth a trip around town (no joke, ALL the lights were red). And the Asirincity... well, let's just say it's not quite as easy as it sounds.

In a fantastic location high above the Bay of Cologne and with a wonderful view of Cologne Cathedral, you will find one of the most beautiful and largest baroque castles in Europe - the 5-star luxury hotel Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg. Guests from all over the world and stars such as Robbie Williams and Paul McCartney have already been pampered here and have probably also enjoyed the great view of the cathedral city. The "Bensberger Schlossweg" also starts here, one of several themed hikes from the "Bergische Streifzüge" collection. Not far away is the Schlosshotel Lerbach, whose star-rated cuisine first made Bergisch Gladbach famous worldwide as a gourmet mecca in the 1990s (closed since 2015 for renovation work). From the luxury hostel in the former paper manufacturer's property, the circular route leads over the pre-Christian ramparts of the Erdenburg back towards Bensberg. The contrast between the Middle Ages and the modern age is shaped by Böhm's "Bürgerburg", which can be seen from afar on the last part of the route. A milestone in architecture and one of the most striking town halls in Germany: around half a century old, pure concrete, the mighty tower cast in sculptural forms. The Bensberg town hall stands on the site of the destroyed medieval ring castle. As we all know, milestones in architectural history are a tricky thing. They are rarely loved and revered at the time of construction, some only later, some never. There is no doubt that Gottfried Böhm created a milestone in architectural history with the "Bürgerburg" and has also found international recognition. Since its completion, however, the locals have also jokingly called this imposing building the "Affenfelsen". Sometimes you don't necessarily have to travel far; there are plenty of things to discover just outside Cologne. Thank you very much @Sus for the joint foray. I had a lot of fun again.