Swap grey for green! – Volvic City Escapes North Rhine-Westphalia

The Ville is a large forest area in the south of Cologne between Brühl, Erftstadt and Bonn. But it is also an old opencast mining area with hundreds of kilometers of hiking and cycling routes, lakes and trees as far as the eye can see. You visit four of the lakes on this tour, which you can reach by… read more

The Groov has long since ceased to be an insider tip for Porzer. But for Cologne residents beyond the “Schäl Sick”, a visit to this old Rhine island is not always obvious. But the Groov is perfect for a short trip after work - and can also be easily reached with tram line 7 to Zündorf.



From the tram stop… read more

You don't necessarily have to go far from Cologne to take a walk through the countryside. Because the Höhenfelder See and the Dellbrücker Heide are still in the city area, but so secluded that you hardly notice it. The S 11, for example, takes you from Cologne Messe-Deutz and Cologne Central Station… read more

The Kottenforst in the southwest of Bonn is a popular local recreation area and can be easily reached not only from Bonn, but also from Meckenheim, Rheinbach or Euskirchen by regional train. Therefore, this tour starts as an introduction to the Kottenforst and its hiking opportunities at the Kottenforst… read more

Between Dortmund and Kamen lies the small Kurler Busch nature reserve with its dense mixed oak forest. An oasis in the Ruhr area, made for a trip to catch your breath and breathe deeply - especially in summer, when it's hot in the city, the green canopy promises a pleasant cool down.



With the regional… read more

On the southern border of Dortmund, almost in the middle between Dortmund and Hagen, lies the Niederhofer Holz – now known as Niederhofer Wald – a piece of forest with an exciting history. There is a reason why the forest appears so unspoilt: During the Second World War there was an ammunition store… read more

The Baldeneysee is the ultimate excursion destination in Essen. But if you want to do a lap and avoid the hustle and bustle on the shore of Lake Baldeney, you can turn into the Kruppwald instead. There you will find peace after work or if you want to go on a short hike in between at the weekend.



It all… read more

The Büderich Forest is a nature reserve near Meerbusch in the greater Düsseldorf area. There you will also find a forest resting place, surrounded by idyllic and partly wild nature. You can easily reach the Büdericher Forest from Düsseldorf in just under 20 minutes with the U 76. You can also get there… read more

In just a few minutes, the S 28 takes you from Düsseldorf main station to the Neandertal station and to an extraordinary circular hike. Because on your tour you can meet the large and impressive bison, who are out and about in their extensive and natural game reserve.



But not only these magnificent European… read more

Clear water in which the trees are reflected. There is also a path around the lake, lined with a small piece of forest, which promises a pleasant cool down in summer. The after-work tour around the Unterbacher See between the state capital Düsseldorf and Hilden is finished. You can reach the lake for… read more

The Davert is a lush nature reserve south of Munster. Together with the adjacent Hohe Ward, it forms the largest contiguous forest area in the region. And at the same time it is home to many animal species, some of which are rare, such as the middle woodpecker or the terrier's bat. You can reach the… read more

The Rieselfelder are located on the edge of the Dortmund-Ems Canal in the north of Münster. Formerly a drainage area for the city's sewage, this is now a European bird sanctuary. The many bodies of water attract thousands of waterfowl, so pack your binoculars and let's go!



Perfect - the Rieselfelder have… read more

The Werse - not to be confused with the Weser - is a small river on the outskirts of Münster. Its meadows and idyllic spots are the perfect place for a little after-work trip in nature. All the better that the journey by bus line R22 takes less than 15 minutes from Münster main station and you can reach… read more

If you live in Wuppertal, you don't have to drive to the Alps for a refreshing lap after work with rich views. Because in the south of the city there is a large, beautiful piece of nature with hiking trails, forests, meadows and fields. With the combination of S-Bahn and bus you can get there from Wuppertal… read more

The Bielefeld Obersee is a wonderful destination for a wide variety of leisure activities. It also offers hikers a lot - from the wild Johannisbach to beautiful views over the entire lake at various points. And there is even a sunbathing lawn for a relaxing break.



It starts at the Schildesche tram stop… read more

Views, views, views - this could also be the name of the tour over the Bielefeld Heights. Because the route takes you along paths with wonderful views over the treetops, garnished with benches to take a break so that you can enjoy the view even better. You can easily reach the circuit with tram line… read more

The Wurm ripples idyllically north of Aachen through the wild Wurmauen nature reserve and offers a wonderful spot for a short trip between Aachen, Herzogenrath and Würselen. You can reach the circular tour by regional train and bus, starting at the Waldschenke stop in Herzogenrath.



You dive straight into… read more

The Brander Forest is a pretty nature reserve between Aachen-Brand and Stolberg. This tour through the gem is very varied, as you can enjoy dense forest passages, freely visible clearings or beautiful distant views over less than seven kilometers. You can reach the Forst from Aachen main station by changing… read more

Around the Karlshöhe in the west of Aachen you have a wonderful hiking area, perfect for a short trip after work or for a spontaneous trip at the weekend. In addition to charming distant views in the direction of Aachen, exciting historical spots await you on the tour. You can get there from Aachen main… read more