Hückelhoven: Mining History, Cycling Routes and Nature

Hückelhoven is located in the Rur lowlands. When planning your trip, cycling, walks and traces of the mining history offer different options. You can tailor your stay to outdoor activities or to industrial and architectural heritage. Specific destinations include Millicher Halde, with views of the town, nearby settlements and the surrounding area, as well as Shaft 3, an industrial monument and landmark from the mining era.

Cycling in Hückelhoven

Hückelhoven’s well-developed network of cycling routes is suitable for short outings and longer tours. A numbered junction system lets you plan routes that include the NiederRhein Route or the RurUfer Cycle Route. The flat stretches along the Rur are considered family-friendly cycling terrain. This gives you two distinct factors to consider when choosing a route: a short outing or a longer tour, and the flat stretches along the Rur, which are considered family-friendly.

Walks and viewpoints

Millicher Halde is a recreational area in Hückelhoven. From there, you can look out over the town, nearby settlements and the surrounding area. The Himmelstreppe viewing platform can be reached via a footpath of about 1.7 kilometres from the entrance on Gronewaldstraße. Guided hikes on the Halde, called “Die Schöne,” are also offered for groups of six or more. At Adolfosee, walks and nature watching are the main attractions. When deciding what to do, you can weigh up the viewpoint and guided hike on the Halde against walks and nature watching at Adolfosee.

Mining history and architecture

Around 1920, the former Sophia-Jacoba mine began building the Auf dem Hansberg settlement. The Evangelical Parish Church of Hückelhoven is a Neo-Gothic brick hall church dating from 1890/91. Its protected organ case dates from the first half of the 18th century and is therefore considerably older than the church building. The dates put the architectural history into context: the organ case predates the church building, while construction of the settlement did not begin until around 1920.

Shaft 3 is considered an industrial monument and a landmark from Hückelhoven’s mining era. The Barbarastollen can be visited on guided tours; tours for groups of ten or more are also possible. Arrangements may need to be made in advance for the visit. By prior arrangement, the Mineral and Mining Museum offers guided tours and microscopy evenings for children, young people and adults. The Mineral and Mining Friends focus on minerals and fossils.

In the wider destination of Heinsberg

Teverener Heide is a 450-hectare nature reserve in the wider destination of Heinsberg. It extends across the municipality of Gangelt and the towns of Geilenkirchen and Übach-Palenberg. Open heathland, marshy bogs, quiet lakes, inland dunes and woodland shape the landscape. Four circular hiking routes offer different distances: the Moor Circular Route is 5.8 km long, the Heide Circular Route 6 km, the Lake Circular Route 7.1 km and the Long Circular Route 9.4 km. At 5.8 km, the Moor Circular Route is the shortest; at 9.4 km, the Long Circular Route is the longest. Trailheads are at designated car parks in Scherpenseel, Grotenrath and Hohenbusch. It is advisable to check current trail conditions before setting out on a specific hike.

Discover more destinations: Geilenkirchen, Heinsberg, Holzweiler, Tüddern, Selfkant, Erkelenz, Übach-Palenberg, Gangelt

Back to the wider travel overview: Heinsberg.