The best city hikes and walks in Naturschutzgebiet Kirchheller Heide

Delicious cake, nice staff, good opening hours, sitting outside if the weather permits… what more could you want?

Compared to other city centers, still a colorful mix of shops. The downside: cleanliness in the immediate vicinity of the Technical Town Hall is maintained, but a few hundred meters further, around the old Finke furniture store, the street is littered with fast food remnants and drift garbage.

In the presence of the sacred wayside shrine standing here, a crucifix – meaning not just the two crossbeams, but additionally with the depiction of the crucified Christ – which was erected on the church forecourt in memory of various parish missions, I would like to offer those lingering here two short sentences from Pope Leo XIV for spiritual contemplation: “He who gives his life for us lives with us and illuminates our night with salvation. There is no darkness that this star does not illuminate, for in its light all of humanity sees the dawn of a new and eternal reality.”

[In Advent] „we hear in the Gospel about the beginning of John the Baptist's ministry. He appears in the desert and calls people to repentance so that they may prepare for the arrival of the Lord. His call reminds us that Advent is not just a time of waiting, but also of inner preparation. „Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight!“ (Luke 3:4). John's message challenges us to examine our lives. What „uneven paths“ and „crooked roads“ are there in our hearts? Where have we perhaps strayed from God or lost sight of our fellow human beings? John invites us to remove these obstacles and reorient our lives. However, his call has not only a personal dimension, but also a social one: the way of the Lord is a way of justice, peace, and reconciliation. When we make straight the paths of the Lord, we bring light into the darkness of the world and hope into the hearts of people.“ (Text: Michael Inden, Diocesan Director of KAB in the Archdiocese of Cologne)

As was once common in many old villages, the cemetery is located not far from the parish church (which is dedicated to John the Baptist). However, due to the established structures, a new cemetery had to be established a little further away over time, which is why this one is called the "Old Cemetery". The mostly well-kept graves are a worthy reminder of the residents of Kirchhellen (which politically belongs to Bottrop) buried here, although ecclesiastically it is connected to a different diocese than the main town.

Since yesterday was 'World Book Day', I would like to take the opportunity of encountering this public bookshelf to go back to the beginning of the century before last in literary history. Below is a quote from the speech at the awarding of the corresponding Nobel Prize in 1904 to Frederic MISTRAL: "The Academy has awarded one of the prizes to the poet Frédéric Mistral. In the freshness of his poetic inspiration, this venerable old man is younger than most poets of our time. One of his major works, Lou pouèmo dóu rose [The Song of the Rhone], was published not too long ago, in 1897, and when the Provençal poets celebrated their fiftieth anniversary on May 31, 1904, Mistral... struck up a poetry that in verve and power yields to none of his earlier works." (Source: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1904/ceremony-speech/ )

One of the bunkers that were built for the population during the Second World War.

Sterkrader Tor is a popular shopping center in the Sterkrade district of Oberhausen. Opened in 2007 on the site of the former Gutehoffnungshütte steelworks, it combines modern architecture with a touch of industrial history – two half-flywheels in front of the entrance are a reminder of this. Across approximately 22,000 square meters, you'll find around 28 stores, including well-known names such as Aldi, C&A, dm, Edeka, DocMorris, and Takko. Even those with a small appetite are catered for: from bakeries to fast-food chains, you'll find everything. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and parking is free for up to two hours. A special bonus: A flea market is regularly held on the premises – a real highlight for bargain hunters and collectors.