The best cycling routes around Hildener Heide

Haus Bürgel with its Roman Museum is always worth a visit. I personally don't like the new extension at all. A shame

🎨🖌The historic town center of Düssel, a district of Wülfrath in neanderland🧭, is characterized by well-preserved half-timbered & slate houses🎨🖌- Highlights include the 2 small- but very fine churches ⛪️⛪️ in the village. ⛪️🙏🏼Here, in the small, touristically attractive village center, you will find a great place for the peace of your soul- 🙏🏼Each in their own way🙏🏼

As a self-confessed castle enthusiast, I was initially a bit disappointed – not much remains of the old Roman fort. The Roman museum is supposed to be very nice, but unfortunately it was closed. However, the current courtyard has a lot to offer, and hidden away on the roof at the back is a stork platform. So a visit – even just for a stroll – is worthwhile.

It's great that there's such a highway. It must have been a railway line once.

You can sit on the stone terraces and enjoy the view over the lake.

The former Kesselsweier gliding airfield is located in Hilden, more precisely on the city border with Haan. It is now a nature reserve and historical monument. Gliding operations were conducted there until 2008, but then operations were discontinued because the runway was too short and expansion would have required a large number of trees. Kesselsweier is a historic estate that has existed since at least 1590. In 1927, the Hilden Gliding and Motor Flying Club was founded, which later became the Kesselsweier Hilden-Haan Nature Reserve. In 2013, the Kesselsweier Nature Reserve merged with the Erbslöh Nature Reserve in Langenfeld. Today, the area is used as pasture and is a popular meeting place for dog walkers and model aircraft enthusiasts. The city of Hilden plans to develop the area into a habitat for rare animals and plants, as it is located within a valuable nature reserve bordering two other nature reserves.

A truly beautiful cycle path away from traffic

Lake Menzel is a disused gravel pit in the south of Düsseldorf, created during gravel mining in the 1970s and 1980s. After industrial use ceased, the area was gradually returned to nature and developed into an important refuge for animals and plants. Today, Lake Menzel is part of a designated nature reserve and is one of the most ecologically valuable bodies of still water in the region. The lake covers an area of approximately 18 hectares and is up to 15 meters deep. Due to its secluded location, the surrounding forests, and extensive land use, a largely undisturbed habitat has developed here. Bird species such as great crested grebes, little grebes, grey herons, and various duck species find breeding and resting sites here. Amphibians, dragonflies, bats, and rare insects also benefit from the natural structures and largely untouched shoreline. Technically speaking, Lake Menzel is a residual body of water from gravel mining. After mining ceased, the pit was not completely filled but flooded. The groundwater level naturally filled the basin. Due to the lack of tourist or recreational development, the lake remained largely untouched – a rarity in urban areas. There are no paved shores, no bathing infrastructure, and no access roads to the water. The shore is largely covered with reeds, rushes, bushes, and trees – ideal conditions for breeding birds and shy wildlife. Access to the lake is deliberately restricted. A circular path leads around the area at a respectful distance, allowing for nature observation without disturbing the wildlife. In some places, there are observation points or benches from which, with a little patience and binoculars, rare bird species can be observed. Lake Menzel is an excellent example of successful reuse of former mining areas. It demonstrates how the deliberate withdrawal of human use can create a high-quality biotope that is not only ecologically valuable but also scenically attractive. The lake is a worthwhile destination for nature-loving walkers, hikers, and ornithologists – especially in the morning hours or during migration in spring and autumn.