Langerwehe Between Castles and Pottery
Accommodation in Langerwehe
Merode Castle, Laufenburg Castle and the Pottery Museum give your holiday planning in Langerwehe a clear focus: medieval architectural history, castles and pottery. A circular tour connects several of these places. You can tailor your trip to whether you are primarily interested in historic monuments, traditional crafts or a route with several stops.
File:Landschaft bei Langerwehe.jpg
Photo: Jörg Fuhrmann (Intermerker) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Castles and Pottery in Langerwehe
Merode Castle is in the village of Merode, a district of the municipality of Langerwehe in the Düren district. This important cultural monument has a history dating back to the 12th century; it was first mentioned in a document in 1174. Laufenburg Castle is also an important architectural and cultural monument from the 12th century and a popular excursion destination across the region.
At the Langerwehe Pottery Museum, the craft itself is the focus. Visitors can watch pottery being made in the museum’s own workshop and take part in pottery courses on offer. Working with clay thus complements the architectural history with a different cultural experience. If a course is important to your travel plans, check the current programme in advance.
Circular Tours with Different Points of Reference
A 15.4-kilometre circular tour starts at Langerwehe station, passes the Pottery Museum and Merode Castle, continues to Laufenburg Castle and returns to the station. It therefore connects several of the cultural sites mentioned above in one circular route. Check current conditions and the waymarking before setting out. The Great Castle Tour also starts at Langerwehe station. Its first section heads southeast down Bahnhofstraße to junction 42 at the roundabout. The route descriptions therefore differ in specific ways: the circular tour gives its length and several destinations, while the Great Castle Tour describes its first section.
A military history walking tour is also offered as an excursion connected with Langerwehe. Booking or an appointment is required to take part. Ask the tourism provider about available dates.
More Destinations in the Düren Destination Area
Other places in the Düren destination area have their own distinctive attractions. In the municipality of Inden, the 36-metre-high Indemann stands on the Goltsteinkuppe. At just under 150 metres, the hill is the highest elevation in the municipality. Viewing platforms in the sculpture offer views of the Inden open-cast mine landscape; you can also walk along its outstretched arm. This view of the mining landscape adds a different perspective to Langerwehe’s themes of castles and crafts.
The Jülich Citadel is an almost completely preserved and restored fortress with a ducal palace in the style of the Italian High Renaissance. It is considered the oldest complex of its kind north of the Alps. You can explore its ramparts, bastions and casemates independently or as part of a guided tour. Check the current opening arrangements before your trip.
The Düren Paper Museum focuses on the many facets of paper as well as the city’s industrial and cultural history. The permanent exhibition also explores traditional and modern paper production. Blind and visually impaired visitors can follow a self-guided introductory tour; information resources and numerous tactile exhibits are also available.
Art and movement also come together in the Düren destination area: the two-kilometre, accessible “Art in the Bush” circular trail in Heimbach passes sculptures, three-dimensional artworks and installations. Nideggen Castle Museum offers an extensive events programme, as well as workshops and guided tours for school classes, families and adults. Check the current programme dates before your visit.
Discover more destinations: Düren, Merzenich, Titz, Linnich, Nideggen, Nörvenich, Kreuzau, Heimbach.
Return to the main travel overview: Düren.
