Discover Straelen: The Way of St. James, the Straelener Veen and Urban Culture

Explore Straelen through its landscapes, routes and urban culture. When planning your trip, you can choose from walks, guided tours and historical or artistic themes. If you’re looking for a hotel in Straelen, these highlights can help you organise your interests for your stay: should your route take you through the countryside, should a tour introduce you to the town and its surroundings, or should Straelen’s history take centre stage?

The Way of St. James and the Straelener Veen

The section of the Way of St. James in Straelen leads west from the town centre. Follow the Grenzweg downhill into the Maas lowlands, the Straelener Veen. The Veen was once an area of moorland and swamp forest; today, grassland, ditches and small woods shape the landscape. This section of the route brings together clear directions and a description of the terrain with a landscape shaped by historical change. The Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela also passes through Straelen.

Walking and cycling tours

The Schmugglerpfad is in Straelen-Kastanienburg, between Straelen and Velden. The 2.6-kilometre route passes through meadows and fields, follows a ditch and goes through woodland. You can explore it on your own or book a guided tour. As trail conditions may change, it’s a good idea to check the latest situation before setting out.

Guided tours are available on foot through the town centre, by bicycle through the Lower Rhine countryside and by bus through the horticultural region. If you’d like to include one of these tours in your plans, ask the town about current availability. Another cycling option is the GreenCity cycle tours: from April to October, they run in open groups on the first Saturday of each month and on the following Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. They start at Straelen market square; exceptions are possible. Check the latest tour information before making plans.

Cycling in the wider Kleve destination

Looking at the wider Kleve destination provides more information to help you plan cycling trips. Kleve district has more than 1,500 kilometres of cycling routes and numerous themed routes. These include the signposted Niers Cycle Route, which is 128 kilometres long. It runs from the source of the Niers in Mönchengladbach through the districts of Viersen and Kleve to the municipality of Gennep in the Netherlands. A pocket planner shows all the junctions in Kleve district when unfolded and explains how the district-wide junction system works. This information provides a different perspective alongside the tours in Straelen and helps distinguish local options from cycling guidance for the district as a whole.

Church, translation and art in the townscape

St. Peter and Paul parish church was originally partly Romanesque. After it was shelled and conquered by the troops of Maximilian I, the future emperor, it took on its present form in 1498, with a Gothic chancel and bell tower that still dominate the town’s skyline. The date and the architectural features make the church a tangible example of the town’s historical development.

The European Translation Centre is considered the world’s first and largest international working centre for literary translators. Visits are currently not possible because of extensive construction work. As an artistic feature of the townscape, the Green Couch has stood on a plinth in front of the town hall since 2001. Together, the church, centre and installation reflect different facets of Straelen’s urban culture; please note the current restrictions on visiting the centre.

Discover more destinations: Rees, Emmerich am Rhein, Kerken, Kevelaer, Haldern, Appeldorn, Geldern, Issum.

Go to the wider travel overview: Kleve.