Gremberghoven: Nature and Settlement History

Gremberghoven combines a protected aquatic landscape with the history of a railway settlement. This gives your stay two clearly defined themes: a habitat for waterbirds and the architectural heritage of the settlement’s history. They tell different sides of the area and offer concrete points of reference when choosing your destination.

Nature Reserve and Waterbirds

The “Kiesgrubensee Gremberghoven” nature reserve has been protected since 1989 because of its regional importance as a habitat for rare waterbirds and covers approximately 38 hectares. About two thirds of the area is taken up by an elongated body of water running from north to south. The shores are largely characterized by very steep slopes and berms. The landscape also includes species-rich mixed deciduous forest and areas with pioneer tree species such as birch, goat willow and European aspen. The water, steep shorelines and varied tree cover create a distinct landscape alongside the built-up settlement.

A total of 72 bird species have been recorded; 28 have been considered current breeding birds since 2013. The distinction is important: the first figure includes all recorded species, while the second refers to species considered current breeding birds since 2013. The nature reserve is therefore particularly appealing to travelers interested in habitats and birdlife.

Railway Settlement and Historic Monuments

Since 2003, the original Gremberghoven railway settlement, together with its green space and its multi-storey apartment blocks, detached houses and terraced houses, has been protected as a group of listed buildings. Designed by architect Martin Kießling, the settlement invites you to take a walk through the history of the Veedel. A dedicated section of the route through the garden settlement presents six notable sites and introduces visitors interested in industrial history and architecture to their history and significance.

One historical detail with a practical connection to the settlement’s past is the archway on the central axis of the row of houses on Rather Straße. It gave residents access to the gardens behind the houses. On Langobardenplatz, a sundial stands on the central axis of the rotunda. It is considered the only known permanent sundial on a building in the city of Cologne to have survived the Second World War intact and to remain in its original condition to this day.

One dated example of a tour of the historic monuments was Open Monument Day 2024: on Saturday, September 7, a two-hour, 2-kilometer tour visited important monuments in the settlement. These included houses, a sundial and a square. The meeting point was Bahnhofsplatz 2a; the Steinstraße S-Bahn station served as a reference point for getting there.

Church, Railway and Local Character

The Church of the Holy Spirit stands in the center of Gremberghoven and is distinguished by its large windows and open interior roof. Its history of use is also part of the area’s character: in 2005, the Catholic parish made the church available to the Serbian Orthodox Christian community. The community adapted the interior design to Orthodox liturgy.

The open-air museum at Bahnhofplatz offers insights into railway history and its importance to Gremberghoven and the region. Exhibits include a historic station clock, the old axle of a steam locomotive and the former Gremberghoven station sign. The 65-meter, 17-storey ABC Tower, built in 2003, stands on Ettore-Bugatti-Straße. This office high-rise is a landmark visible from far away in Gremberghoven’s commercial areas. The settlement, church, railway artifacts and tower each add a different dimension; together, they bring local architectural and industrial history to life.

Discover more destinations: Junkersdorf, Cologne, Worringen, Köln-Brück.

Back to the main travel guide: Cologne.