Discover Merzenich

Merzenich offers two notable points of interest for a culture- and history-focused stay: the old St. Lawrence’s Church and the Water Tower. At the church, the focus is on its different building phases and a complex preserved as a ruin; at the tower, you can trace its transformation from a mill tower into a water tower. If you are looking for a hotel in Merzenich, this distinction can help you explore the town according to the topics that interest you.

St. Lawrence’s Church: Building History and Furnishings

The first St. Lawrence’s Church in Merzenich was a Romanesque basilica. In the 14th and 15th centuries, it was rebuilt as a three-aisled hall church with a choir closed on three sides. The change from the basilica type to a hall church marked a clear change in the shape of the interior. Demolition work begun on the old St. Lawrence’s Church was halted, and it was preserved as a ruin.

The furnishings of the churches of St. Lawrence also reflect different periods. The old church’s furnishings included a small carved altar from a Brussels workshop, dating to the early 16th century. Its shrine depicts a Calvary scene with numerous figures and scenes from the Passion; the altar was transferred to the new church. There is also a High Gothic crucifix dating from around 1260 to 1270. The church’s reconstruction, its preserved ruined state, and its historic furnishings thus represent different aspects of the town’s history.

The Water Tower as a Landmark

The Water Tower is Merzenich’s landmark. Its history began in 1608 as a mill tower; in 1912, it was converted into a water tower. These two dates mark a clear sequence: a structure associated with a mill later became a water tower. Unlike St. Lawrence’s Church, the focus here is on a change of function. For those interested in the development of individual buildings, Merzenich offers two distinct historical perspectives: religious architecture and technical use.

Cultural Attractions in the Wider Düren Destination

The wider Düren destination offers further cultural attractions. Düren’s Burgau Castle was destroyed in 1944, remained a ruin until 1975, and was restored in 1998. Today, it is once again considered a jewel of the city of Düren. The Jülich Citadel offers a different architectural highlight: the almost completely preserved and restored fortress includes a ducal palace in the style of the Italian High Renaissance and is considered the oldest complex of its kind north of the Alps. You can explore it on your own or as part of a guided tour. Check the current opening arrangements before planning your visit.

Museums also offer a variety of themes. The permanent exhibition at the Düren Paper Museum focuses on the many facets of paper, as well as the city’s history, industrial history, and cultural history, and covers both traditional and modern paper production. The Leopold Hoesch Museum in Düren has an outstanding collection of classical modernist paintings; its collection also focuses on postwar modernism and contemporary art. The cultural range of the wider destination thus extends from architectural and industrial history to art collections.

Landscape and Cycling Tours in the Düren Destination

The Indemann offers views of the landscape around the Inden open-pit mine. The 36-metre-high sculpture stands on the Goltsteinkuppe, the highest point in the municipality of Inden at just under 150 metres. Viewing platforms offer a look out over the open-pit mining landscape; you can also walk along the sculpture’s outstretched arm.

For a cycling tour, the wider Düren destination includes the Düren Lakes Loop, which is about 20 kilometres long. It follows the Rur to Düren’s bathing lakes. The RurUfer Cycle Route offers a longer route option: it runs via Monschau to Einruhr, along the Rursee through the Rureifel, past Düren and Jülich, and through the Heinsberg region to Roermond. Train stations along the cycle route make it possible to plan your route and stages individually; some stages can be enjoyed as day trips. Before setting off, check the route conditions and current options for taking bicycles on the train.

Discover more destinations: Nörvenich, Jülich, Titz, Hürtgenwald, Inden, Heimbach, Düren, Aldenhoven.

Go to the main travel overview: Düren.