The best waterfall hikes and walks in Saarn-Mendener Ruhraue

The site strikes the right note: grief, not hero worship.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duisburger_Stadtwald

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duisburger_Stadtwald

The hilltop, now called the "Worship Meadow," has been a leveled assembly area since Germanic times, adjacent to the sacred spring of the Holy Well. It is the westernmost and, at approximately 81 meters, one of the highest hilltops in the area. Back then, its treeless location offered an unobstructed view of the Rhine plain and the burial mound field located there, now built over. This clear view across the thousands of burial mounds towards the setting sun must have been phenomenal and of cultic significance. It is likely that, as elsewhere, a circle of wooden posts was placed here to mark the solstices and other astronomically important dates for cultic and agricultural purposes. Unfortunately, no excavations have yet been carried out to confirm this. The site was probably in continuous use, as the Roman temple of Elfrath was oriented towards this location, and baptismal ceremonies held there are documented from early Christian times. Even today, the area is used for open-air worship services.

The "holy spring" is a spring in Duisburg's city forest, south of the intersection of Rundweg and Kammerweg. The spring (also called "Marienquelle"), first mentioned in a city account in 1563 on the "hillgen bornschen Berg" (hilly born mountain), was once attributed with healing powers. The origins of this belief in the water's supposed healing powers remain unclear. In reality, the spring water, which seeps through the gravel and sand of the city forest and emerges above the impermeable clay layers, has no such effect (it is not drinking water). In 1935, the spring and its surroundings were lined with stones. Coal mining was carried out here as early as 1562, but without success. The tunnels were said to have been up to 45 meters deep.

..... Haus Hartenfels is considered a typical building of late historicism. It was extended again after 1923 (until 1926) according to plans by the Swiss architect William Dunkel with a north wing with utility and guest rooms and a terrace. It has also gained outstanding importance due to its considerable size, its good state of preservation and its typical, so-called "English floor plan". Another special feature is the tower of the building, which can be seen from afar. The family of the industrialist Klöckner lived in Haus Hartenfels until 1942; after the Second World War, bombed-out people and refugees were housed here. After being vacant for a long time, the outer parts of the building were repaired in 1986. Condominiums are currently being built in the building, which has been a listed building since 1995. (Bernward Selter, Münster, 2014)

"The house, completed in 1911 according to plans by architect (Hermann) Wolters, is in line with the castle-like country estates of historicism. The building is also characterized as a work of waning historicism by adopting numerous Gothic (exterior) and Renaissance (interior) styles" (City of Duisburg, Lower Monument Authority, Monument List No. 350). The monumentality of the building is combined with picturesque elements. "In addition to an asymmetrical and lively grouped structure, the abundant use of high roofs, gables and bay windows or balconies as well as the tower motif were attributes of old German, local architecture. In addition, efforts were made to reduce the ornamentation as much as possible" (City of Duisburg, Lower Monument Authority, Monument List No. 350). .....

From the Kaiserberg Park you can catch a glimpse of the Cameroon sheep enclosure.