Herzogenrath – Burg Rode, hiking trails and nature

Burg Rode and the history of Herzogenrath

Burg Rode is the historic landmark of Herzogenrath and has a history spanning more than 900 years. Its former role as a toll castle is also part of the building’s history. Anyone interested in historic places will find a tangible starting point here for getting to know Herzogenrath not only through its landscapes but also through its past. The castle is therefore a travel theme in its own right, alongside the city’s hiking and nature attractions.

The Burgfest is held at Burg Rode every year on the Sunday of the first weekend in June, unless that date falls on Pentecost. The date is tied to this day of the weekend and this condition. If you are planning your trip around the festival, bear the Pentecost proviso in mind; the annual rule as stated does not in itself indicate any other event programme. The Burgfest and the former toll castle’s long history offer different ways to explore this landmark: one through its historic role, the other through a recurring event.

Parkland and the transformation of a former mining site

The Grube-Adolf-Park Merkstein, covering around 60 hectares, lies in the northern part of the city. The park is a distinct natural and landscape highlight to consider when planning your trip. Separately, there is the history of the former Adolf mining site in Merkstein: it was inaccessible to the general public for around a hundred years and was subsequently reclaimed for public use. The change from long-term closure to public access is a notable part of local industrial history.

Hiking: long-distance route or circular walk

The 75-kilometre Herzoglimburg Trail follows in the footsteps of the dukes. It runs from Limburg-sur-Vesdre in Belgium via Burg Rode and Herzogenrath in Germany to Rolduc near Kerkrade in the Netherlands. Herzogenrath is therefore one section of a cross-border route whose full length connects the three named countries. If you are interested in this route, you can consider it as a hiking option in its own right alongside the local trails.

The circular walk through the Broichbach valley starts at the car park on Berger Straße in central Herzogenrath. This gives a specific starting point for the walk. The Herzoglimburg Trail and the Broichbach valley circular walk differ in their described routes: one is a long-distance route crossing national borders, while the other starts in central Herzogenrath and loops back. Which option better suits your holiday days depends on whether you would like to explore the cross-border route or a local circular walk.

Nature trails for different discoveries

The InsektenLehrPfad (Insect Education Trail) is a circular route across the first plateau of the Grube Adolf spoil heap. Informative panels about insects are placed along the trail. It is aimed at adults and children, families, schools and clubs. Its target groups and subject matter make it particularly interesting for anyone who would like to learn about insects during a walk.

The nature discovery trail around the Fuchsberg area is different: it comprises eight stations. The number of stations identifies it as a nature trail in its own right, without conflating it with the InsektenLehrPfad. Together with the circular walk in the Broichbach valley, it gives you a choice of trails with different features.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Herzogenrath, you can first decide which of these themes you want to shape your trip: Burg Rode and its history, the annual Burgfest, hiking or nature trails. This makes it easier to consider whether Herzogenrath, with its various attractions, suits the holiday you have planned, without combining the different routes and places into a single offering.

More places to visit: Baesweiler, Roetgen, Hahn, Simmerath, Monschau, Würselen, Stolberg and Lammersdorf.

For the broader travel overview: Aachen.