Wahner Heide and Königsforst
The Königsforst and the Wahner Heide border each other and are located in the natural area of the Bergische Heideterrasse in the transition from the Rhine plain to the Bergisches Land.
The western border of the 8,250-hectare area is where the terrain changes from the Niederterrasse to the Heideterrasse. This is exactly where the historic mouse path runs, an old trade route on the right bank of the Rhine.
To the south, the area extends into the Aggeraue. Its eastern border is characterized by a smooth transition to the Bergisches Land, especially in the Königsforst. In the Wahner Heide, the Sülztal forms the eastern border, while to the north the entire area is bounded by the settlement band along the Brüderstraße, the historic trade route from Cologne to the Bergisches Land.
Due to the location in the metropolitan area between road and rail networks, residential buildings and the airport, there are special challenges for nature conservation in this green lung. On the one hand, the task is to reconnect the two areas with each other, because they were separated from each other by the traffic routes for a long time. Animals and plants develop separately. A now completed green bridge over the A3, which is not connected to any hiking trail network, is used exclusively for flora and fauna. A second green bridge is to connect the area across Rösrather Straße.
For visitors, however, there is a bridge over the A3 near Rennweg. You can also reach the area via the four portals (two in each area) in all four cardinal directions. They form the most important entrances to the Wahner Heide and the Königsforst. Like this website, they contain information on the special features of the two areas and are intended to make your stay there a better experience.