Parks and Nature Reserves

This collection highlights the diverse landscapes of the Lower Rhine and Ruhr regions, featuring UNESCO-listed industrial heritage at Zeche Zollverein and the Roman archaeological park in Xanten. Visitors can explore the open-air Museum Island Hombroich, specialized wildlife parks like Duisburg Zoo, and unique viewpoints atop former slag heaps like Alsumer Berg. From historical castle gardens like Schlosspark Kalkum to the riverside trails of Brückenpark Müngsten, these spaces combine nature, history, and regional culture.

Parks and Nature Reserves — Map

Túrelio / CC BY-SA 2.5

A

Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex

The Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex is a large former industrial site in the city of Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Anıl Öztaş / CC BY-SA 3.0 de

B

Museum Island Hombroich

The Museum Insel Hombroich, Neuss, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, is both a park and a museum combining architecture, art and nature on…

Funkelchen / CC-BY-SA-3.0

C

Duisburg Zoo

The Duisburg Zoo, founded on 12 May 1934, is one of the largest zoological gardens in Germany.

Raimond Spekking / CC BY-SA 4.0

D

LVR-Archäologischer Park Xanten

Germany's largest archaeological open-air museum, built on the site of the Roman colony Colonia Ulpia Traiana. It features life-sized reconstructions of an amphitheater, harbor temple, and city walls.

E

Isenburg

This ruin used to be one of the most important fortifications in the area. It dates back to the early Middle Ages and it offers a nice view.

Severinus1970 / CC BY-SA 3.0

F

Südpark

This green oasis is the largest park of the city. It also includes the Volksgarten with ponds and sculptures like Zeitfeld, made of 24…

Frank Vincentz / CC BY-SA 3.0

G

Biotopwildpark Anholter Schweiz

Wildlife park featuring native species like bears, wolves, and lynxes in natural enclosures. The grounds include a 19th-century Swiss-style chalet and a large lake near the Dutch border.

Tuxyso / CC BY-SA 3.0

H

MüGa - Mülheimer Landesgartenschau

Established for the 1992 State Garden Show, this park stretches along the Ruhr river. It houses a camera obscura inside a historic water tower and the Ringlokschuppen cultural center.

Frank Vincentz / CC-BY-SA-3.0

I

Brückenpark Müngsten

Located beneath Germany's highest railway bridge, the Müngsten Viaduct, this park offers riverside trails and a hand-operated ferry across the Wupper river.

Rainer Halama / CC BY-SA 3.0

J

Alsumer Berg (Beecker Halde)

A former slag heap rising 50 meters above the Rhine bank. It provides panoramic views of the heavy industry and steel plants of the northern Ruhr area.

Flux Garden~commonswiki / CC BY-SA 2.5

K

Zeche Carl

Zeche Carl is a cultural centre set up by Essen Council in a former coal mine.

kaʁstn / CC BY-SA 3.0 de

L

Schlosspark Kalkum

An English-style landscape park surrounding a 19th-century Baroque water castle. It features a moat, mature trees, and walking paths.

M

Alter Stadtgarten

Historical municipal garden and heritage site located in Viersen-Dülken.

N

Alter Jüdischer Friedhof Dülken

Historical Jewish cemetery featuring gravestones from the 19th and early 20th centuries, preserved as a cultural heritage site.

Tuxyso / CC BY-SA 3.0

O

Raffelbergpark

Former spa park of Solbad Raffelberg featuring early 20th-century architecture. It serves as the grounds for the Theater an der Ruhr.

Atamari / CC BY-SA 3.0

P

Nordpark

A 33-hectare hilltop park in Wuppertal-Barmen featuring a fallow deer enclosure and views over the city.