Discover Schwalmtal: Lüttelforst, churches and places to visit

You can get to know Schwalmtal through its varied local character, buildings and places to visit. When planning your stay, you can decide whether to focus on a particular village, historic architecture, a virtual tour or a hiking area. Lüttelforst, the historic town centres and the places to visit mentioned here each offer different starting points for exploring the area.

Lüttelforst and St. James’s Church

Lüttelforst is a long, narrow Waldhufendorf (a type of linear forest village) on the Lower Rhine’s left bank and a district of the municipality of Schwalmtal. The small St. James’s Church stands on a rise in the middle of the village. In Lüttelforst, you’ll find both the distinctive description of a long, narrow village and a clearly identified landmark at its centre. If you’d like to explore the village digitally before your trip, you can consider the virtual tour in the LüttelGo app. The app offers a tour of Lüttelforst; check whether it is available before your trip.

Historic town centres and buildings

Schwalmtal draws attention to the picturesque little lanes in the historic centres of Waldniel and Amern. The Schwalmtaldom stands by the market square; it was built in the Neo-Gothic style between 1878 and 1883. In Amern, the Mühlenturm is considered a local landmark. This takes you from the lanes of two town centres to individual buildings: a church with a clearly specified construction period and a tower considered a landmark of Amern. If you enjoy comparing historic townscapes, you’ll find different scales here—from the town centre to an individual building.

Places to visit and hiking

Places to visit in Schwalmtal include Hariksee and Happelter Heide. Schomm is described as a hiking area and is also listed as a place to visit. This gives you a thematic distinction when planning: Schomm is specifically associated with hiking, while Hariksee and Happelter Heide are classed as places to visit. You can decide which of these best suits your stay based on your personal interests.

In the wider Viersen destination

With its towns and municipalities and the Schwalm-Nette Nature Park, Viersen district is an important part of the Lower Rhine tourism destination. Two routes in the wider Viersen destination offer further guidance. The Viersen District Railway Cycle Route is 122.8 kilometres long. It runs on or alongside disused railway lines, passing through open fields and quiet forests and leading to the idyllic lake landscape of the Krickenbeck Lakes.

Another route in the district is the Viersen Circular Route. The boat landing on the Niers near Viersen-Süchteln is a good starting point. From there, the route first follows the Niers for several kilometres through the Saalbruch nature reserve. Detours lead to the viewpoint at Clörather Mühle and to Dülken’s historic town centre at cycle route junction 40. There you’ll find a historic trail and the Narrenmühle, an old post mill that houses a museum of carnival traditions. The circular route also passes St. Mary Help of Christians Parish Church in Dornbusch. The Railway Cycle Route details focus on its length and landscape, while the information about the Viersen Circular Route specifies a starting point, the first stretch and several detours. Check current route conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Brüggen, Grefrath, Viersen, Nettetal, Kempen, Niederkrüchten, Willich, Tönisvorst.

Back to the wider travel overview: Viersen.