アレンベルクの洞窟・トップ11

After the outdoor pool closed, the Weiherpark in the North Rhine-Westphalian municipality was left to its own devices – a barely used and inaccessible brownfield site with dilapidated structures emerged near the town center. A park is now being created at the confluence of the Ahr and Giesenbach rivers that blends into the landscape and connects Blankenheim with the surrounding nature. The vision: a spacious, species-rich valley landscape in the immediate vicinity of the town center. The Weiherpark has been rebuilt and redesigned over decades. After the swimming pool closed in 2015, large parts of it remained unused; only the Swan Pond in the center of the park remained accessible. The ideas and wishes of the residents were incorporated into the redevelopment plans. Existing and unused facilities will be demolished and landscaped; The subsequently remodeled terrain will connect to the neighboring valleys, bringing nature directly into the town. The renaturalized Weiherpark will be accessible and accessible for everyone. Thanks to the exposure of the Giesenbach stream, its confluence with the Ahr will become an integral part of the park, creating a connection to the Ahr source in the nearby historic town center. Source: https://die-gruene-stadt.de/ein-gruenes-tal-kehrt-zurueck/

Blankenheim Castle is a castle complex above the municipality of Blankenheim in the Eifel. It was built as a hilltop castle around 1115 by Gerhard I and was the ancestral seat of the Blankenheim family.

Nice place to rest.

A beautiful ruin with an interesting past, which unfortunately has been demolished for building material.

Small, historic town center with the Ahrquelle and the possibility to rest a little in a cafe

The swan pond with its beautifully designed shore areas upgrades the town entrance. From here you have a wonderful view of the castle.

The "old town" of Blankenheim is mostly well preserved or restored and (apart from a few "modern architectural mistakes") worth seeing. Coming on the Way of St. James from Cologne (or in the variant from Bonn), the pilgrim to Bad Münstereifel - where both routes unite - now reaches this place as a stage destination on the further path through the Eifel in the direction of Trier.

The very impressive castle towers over the rather small town. If you choose the eastern path above the church you still have a nice view over Blankenheim (but then you have to walk back a little to the castle). The path on the west side has another good view of the imposing side wall of the building. It is also exciting to see how the water supply was previously provided via the Tiergarten tunnel.