Experiencing nature

Experiencing nature in Monheim am Rhein

Rhine, meadows and floodplain woods

Whether on foot, on a bicycle or even on a boat, in Monheim am Rhein, many ways lead into the diverse natural spaces of the surrounding area. On routes of varying lengths, you can discover these green oases on foot or by bike, passing through meadows and woodland, floodplains and fields – and, of course, along the Rhine again and again.

In the Urdenbacher Kämpe Nature Reserve, the Rhine is still allowed to flood its floodplains between the conurbations of the major cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf and isn’t prevented from doing so by dikes – as is the case almost everywhere else. This creates enchanted floodplain woods and wet meadows with a unique ecosystem.

You can really experience something here. The Rheinbogen Landscape Park, between the old part of Monheim and the Rhine, is a paradise for families with children.

The Neanderlandsteig Trail is a 240-kilometer circular hiking trail in the district of Mettmann, which with its stages 13 and 14 also leads through Monheim am Rhein. Two Discovery Trails cover the north and south of Monheim in smaller rounds.

Always along the Rhine, downstream or upstream, the Rhine Cycle Route is a 1,400-kilometer-long path that runs from the source of the Rhine in the Swiss Alps down to its mouth near Rotterdam.

A circular route that takes you across the water and back again: The Leinpfad (towpath) is a cycle and walking path along the Rhine Promenade in the direction of Baumberg and the Urdenbacher Kämpe Nature Reserve. In Urdenbach, you can take the ferry to get to the other side of the Rhine and walk to Zons, a medieval customs fortress.

If you want to experience nature and learn something, too, the Nature Discovery Trail in the Rheinbogen Landscape Park is the right place for you. Here, children and adults can discover the local flora and fauna at eleven interactive stops along the way.

The Town-Country-River Tour is a circular cycle route. Well signposted, it offers cyclists the chance to explore the natural landscape around the districts of Monheim and Baumberg at their own pace.

Where today Knipprath Woods attracts nature lovers, a few hundred years ago the Rhine still flowed there. You can still see the old riverbed here and there when you go on a short or long walk.