Kleve: cycling routes, museums and gardens

When visiting Kleve, you can explore cycling routes in the district of Kleve, museums and historic gardens in the municipality, as well as destinations in the wider region. These attractions cover different areas: a walking trail, a district-wide cycling network and regional routes each represent a different way of planning. If you are looking for a hotel in Kleve, first consider which of these themes you would like to shape your stay.

Cycling in the district of Kleve and beyond

The district of Kleve has more than 1,500 kilometres of cycling routes and numerous themed routes. A pocket guide shows all the junctions in the district when unfolded and includes helpful information on how the district-wide junction system works. One specific route is the 128-kilometre Niers Cycle Route. It is signposted and runs from the source of the Niers in Mönchengladbach through the districts of Viersen and Kleve to the municipality of Gennep in the Netherlands. This means you can choose between a single route that crosses several areas and navigating the district by its junctions.

Further afield in the region, the approximately 260-kilometre Via Romana runs between Nijmegen and Xanten through the Lower Rhine landscape. Along the route are medieval town centres, museums, parks and castles. Another way to experience the region is the Borderland Draisine on disused railway lines between Groesbeek, Kranenburg and Kleve. You can choose between a bicycle draisine for two to four people or a club draisine for nine to fourteen people. Operating times may vary by season; check the current dates before making plans.

Museums and Kleve’s history

The B. C. Koekkoek House is dedicated to Barend Cornelis Koekkoek and the Kleve School of Painting. The Dutch landscape painter built the town palace in 1848; it dates from the Romantic period and has a historic garden. The Museum Kurhaus Kleve houses a collection of works by Ewald Mataré. The museum is located in the bath buildings near the Baroque gardens. The two sites have different cultural focuses: the Koekkoek House combines an artist’s residence with a garden, while the collection takes centre stage at the Kurhaus.

The Kleve Shoe Museum, housed in the former Gustav Hoffmann shoe factory building, tells the story of shoemaking and regional industry. The historic Swan Tower also tells the story of the region: its museum displays fossils, rocks and finds that shed light on life during the Ice Age and the geological development of the Lower Rhine. Access is currently restricted due to fire safety measures. Check the current visiting conditions before your visit.

Gardens, trails and views

The Forstgarten was created in 1782 under Julius Ernst von Bugenhagen. Inspired by botanical gardens, around 150 exotic tree and shrub species were planted there, many of which are still standing today. The Kleve Observation Tower offers another perspective on the landscape: it is 15 metres high and stands on the 106-metre-high Klever Berg. In good weather, the view stretches across the Rhine Plain to the Netherlands and over the entire Kleve region. Access to the tower depends on the opening hours of the on-site restaurant, so check its hours in advance.

For a walk, the Prince Maurice Trail follows the Kermisdahl from the gardens at Schwanenburg Castle and the Wetering to the tomb of Prince Maurice of Nassau-Siegen. The tomb is reached after a total distance of about 3.5 kilometres. Compared with the long cycling routes, this is a considerably shorter walk, following a route marked by several named places and a specific destination.

Landscape, animals and regional traditions

Riverbanks, green meadows and extensive forests shape the landscape of the district of Kleve. Farm cafés invite you to enjoy fresh produce directly from the producer. Local traditions in the district also include marksmen’s festivals, Carnival and funfairs. As event dates vary, it is worth checking the dates for your travel period.

At Kleve Zoo, visitors can get up close to more than 300 animals. Most of the animals can be fed with food available in the park. Follow the feeding rules, as these may change. Encounters with animals, gardens and museums are all possible themes for a visit, while cycling routes and excursions further afield require different planning.

Discover more destinations: Geldern, Kleve, Rees, Kevelaer, Haldern, Goch, Kerken, Weeze, Appeldorn, Kranenburg, Uedem, Bedburg-Hau, Kalkar, Emmerich Am Rhein, Rheurdt, Issum, Wachtendonk, Straelen.

Back to the main travel overview: North Rhine-Westphalia.