Wassenberg: Hiking, Nature and History

Wassenberg combines hiking trails with named natural areas and historic buildings. If you are looking for hotels in Wassenberg, the different themes can help you choose the focus of your stay: hiking, urban green spaces or town history. The hiking network, garden park and keep offer specific points of reference.

Hiking: Network, Trails and Distances

The Wassenberg hiking network comprises more than 85 kilometers of trails, signposted in both directions. At around 66 junctions, you can put together your own hiking routes. This lets you use the trail network when planning and choose your route at the junctions yourself.

In Myhler Schweiz, the landscape is crisscrossed by small paths and country lanes that are suitable for hiking. The premium hiking trails Birgeler Urwald and Rode Beek also pass through Wassenberg. In addition to the trails in Myhler Schweiz, these two named premium trails provide further points of reference when choosing a route.

The Vital hiking trail network comprises four routes around the center of Wassenberg. The listed distances make it easy to compare the routes by length:

• Judenbruch Vital Hiking Trail: 2.3 km
• Myhler Schweiz Vital Hiking Trail: 4.5 km
• Pützchenroute Vital Hiking Trail: 6.3 km
• Bergfriedroute Vital Hiking Trail: 8.0 km

The routes range in length from 2.3 to 8.0 kilometers. If distance is important to your plans, you can compare the four figures directly. The route names also refer to different Wassenberg themes, including Judenbruch, Myhler Schweiz and the keep.

Nature and Town History in Wassenberg

The Wassenberg municipal area includes the natural areas of Judenbruch, Myhler Schweiz, Rurauen and Wassenberger Riedelland. Myhler Schweiz is particularly closely associated with hiking: small paths and country lanes crisscross the area. The other names add further landscape-related points of interest for exploring Wassenberg.

Wassenberg Garden Park lies in the historic town center and is an organically evolved urban ensemble. Historic sections of the town wall, gently sloping garden terraces and landscaped green spaces define the park. Here, town history meets landscaped green spaces, setting this theme apart from planning routes through the natural areas.

Another historical point of reference is the square, four-story brick keep. It dates from the first half of the 15th century and formed the northernmost point of the town fortifications. Its design, material, date and role in the fortifications give the building a distinct place in the history of Wassenberg.

More Themes in the Wider Destination of Heinsberg

Beyond Wassenberg, the wider destination of Heinsberg offers other landscape-related themes. Teverener Heide is a 450-hectare nature reserve spanning the areas of Gangelt, Geilenkirchen and Übach-Palenberg. Four circular hiking trails are marked out: the Moor Circular Trail (5.8 km), the Heath Circular Trail (6 km), the Lakes Circular Trail (7.1 km) and the Great Circular Trail (9.4 km). Trailheads are located at the designated parking areas in Scherpenseel, Grotenrath and Hohenbusch. Conditions on individual trails may change.

Cultural attractions are also part of the wider destination of Heinsberg. At BEGAS HAUS in the town of Heinsberg, visitors can learn about four generations of the Begas artistic dynasty. The collection is displayed in a historic architectural ensemble dating from the 16th to the 18th century. This makes it possible to distinguish Wassenberg’s hiking and town history from other nature and culture themes in the Heinsberg district.

Discover more destinations: Myhl, Geilenkirchen, Hückelhoven, Selfkant, Holzweiler, Übach-Palenberg, Waldfeucht, Wegberg.

Go to the wider travel overview: Heinsberg.