Leichlingen (Rhld.): Nature Trails and Art

Leichlingen (Rhld.) combines nature trails with art and architectural heritage. For planning, the approximately nine-kilometre-long Orchard Trail and the 8.1-kilometre-long DachsDuoTour offer different points of reference: the Orchard Trail is designated as a circular route, while the DachsDuoTour focuses on natural areas and information stations. Sinneswald, the Protestant church and Wipperkotten add art and history to the excursion options. This lets you tailor your stay to the subjects that interest you in Leichlingen and the surrounding area.

Hiking Trails and Nature

The Leichlingen Orchard Trail is an approximately nine-kilometre-long circular route through the town’s landscape. The DachsDuoTour is shorter, at 8.1 kilometres, and gives visitors the opportunity to explore Leichlingen’s natural areas and their distinctive animals and plants. The distances provide an initial guide; the routes may also be important for your planning. On the Orchard Trail, a local detour due to storm damage should be noted. Check its current route before setting out.

The DachsDuoTour initially follows the banks of the Wupper for a short stretch, then heads upstream into the Weltersbach valley and returns to the Wupper through the Murbach valley. Along the way, there are 24 stations with information signs and QR codes linking to information pages. The tour thus combines nature topics with explanations along the route. It differs from the Orchard Trail both in its route and in these stations; the Orchard Trail, in turn, is specifically described as a circular route through the town’s landscape.

Art and Architectural Heritage in Leichlingen

Sinneswald is located in Leichlingen’s Murbach valley on the grounds of a historic spinning mill. Sculptures by artists from the region are displayed there. Exhibitions have been held at Sinneswald since 1993, with a different theme each year. Artworks can be found around an old millpond, on paths through quarries and woodland, and along a stream. The changing exhibition themes and varied landscapes give the place two distinct aspects: art and its setting in the surrounding area.

The Protestant church in Leichlingen is the town’s oldest sacred architectural monument. It is therefore a different cultural landmark from the sculptures in the Murbach valley: here, a single historic building is the focus, while Sinneswald presents artworks in a variety of landscapes. If you would like to include cultural destinations in your trip, you can choose between sacred architecture and art set in the landscape.

In the surrounding area, between Leichlingen and Solingen on the Wupper in the Rheinisch-Bergisch district, lies Wipperkotten. It was built around 1600 as a grinding mill and is the last double mill complex of its kind on the lower Wupper. A collection of historic, handmade tools and equipment from mills in the Bergisches Land region offers further insight into the history of these mills. If you would like to visit the collection, check the current visitor arrangements before your trip.

Leichlingen in the Rheinisch-Bergisch District

The Rheinisch-Bergisch district lies at the crossroads of the Cologne metropolitan area and the scenic Bergisches Land region. This regional context provides a broader framework for planning your trip, while the trails and cultural sites mentioned offer specific points of interest in Leichlingen and the surrounding area.

Transport information for the district as a whole may also be relevant to your planning: rail-based public transport is available in Leichlingen, Bergisch Gladbach, Rösrath and Overath in the Rheinisch-Bergisch district, with connections towards Cologne. Check the timetables for your specific travel dates. This lets you consider local excursion interests and broader regional orientation separately.

Discover more destinations: Wermelskirchen, Overath, Kürten, Burscheid, Rösrath, Odenthal, Bergisch Gladbach

Go to the broader travel overview: Rheinisch-Bergisch district.