15 May 2018
Swimming against an industrial backdrop
The Zeche Zollverein colliery UNESCO World Heritage Site in Essen is also open to swimmers. Swimmers can now complete their lengths where workers used to sweat. The open-air pool is not just for swimming, but is also a work of art - which is also actively used during the hot summer months. Entrance to the pool, which has been created from two shipping containers welded together, is free of charge.
Canoeing down the Wupper with a world champion
Thomas Becker has won world championship and Olympic medals in canoe slalom, and shares his enthusiasm for water sports on the Wupper river. On his guided whitewater tours, participants canoe past rocks and through narrow passes, and can also enjoy the beauty of the nature on the shore. Canoe trips right through the city of Wuppertal are also possible. www.wupperkanutouren.de
Be amazed by the global mountain biking elite
On 26 and 27 August, the UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Cup will come to the Sauerland region - the only stop in Germany in this international race series. Over an 800-meter-long route, four mountain bikers for each race will compete against each other in a knock-out system. Over the weekend, hobby cyclists can also try out the world cup route. Winterberg is one of eight stops for the international racing series, and the only one in Germany. www.winterberg.de
Hiking through the national park
The new Eifel national park centre in the Forum Vogelsang IP is a good place to start a tour through North Rhine-Westphalia's only national park. Here, there is a large exhibition, “Wildnis(t)räume” (“Wild (dreams) spaces”), offering a barrier-free, active presentation of flora and fauna in four languages. There's even plenty to see there at night, too. It's so dark that the Milky Way can be seen without a telescope. The nature reserve also offers overnight accommodation. Directly on the site of the Burg Vogelsang castle, which was formerly used as an NS cadet training site, a listed former “Kameradschaftshaus” offers beds for up to 35 people. The house is located directly on the Eifelsteig and Wildnis-Trail long-distance hiking routes.
Experience a night filled with industrial culture
This is a night where industrial culture comes alive. On 30 June 2018, around 2,000 artists will use furnaces, gasometers and collieries at 46 venues in 21 towns and cities in the Ruhr region as stages for shows, performances, concerts and acts involving audience participation. The ExtraSchicht offers guided tours through the historical buildings, with several art exhibitions, as well as live music and a major laser show. www.extraschicht.de
Relax in the beach club with a view of a famous monument
This beach bar is located at the 689th river kilometre of the Rhine. Here, guests can enjoy the sunshine next to the river Rhine from Friday to Sunday, with delicious cocktails and snacks. However, the really special feature of the club is its wonderful view over the Rhine onto the symbol of Cologne - the city's cathedral. www.km689.de
Cheer on the best horse riders in the world
To the experts in the field, this is the “Wimbledon of equestrian sports”. The “Concours Hippique International Officiel” in Aachen, or CHIO, is the largest horse riding championship in the world, and attracts the biggest names. The world festival of equestrian sports attracts over 350,000 visitors to the imperial city every year. The competition consists of the classic equestrian sports disciplines - show jumping, dressage and driving - as well as eventing, which was added to the programme in 2007, as well as vaulting.www.chioaachen.de
Space to play in ancient Rome
On the site of the Roman city of Colonia Ulpia Traiana, the LVR Archaeology Park in Xanten invites visitors to take an exciting trip back in time. A large water playground not only offers space for playing and splashing about, but also the opportunity to test Roman hydraulic construction methods with sewers, pumps, channels and sluices. Cyclists can find out more about Roman history on the Roman-Lippe Route, which begins at the Archaeology Park. www.apx.lvr.de
Listen to palace concerts
One of the most unusual concert halls in Germany, the Grand Staircase in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Augustusburg palace in Brühl, is the venue for the Brühl palace concerts every summer. Until early September 2018, the programme includes numerous events, such as the Haydn Festival from 24 August to 2 September. The furious finale is a firework display synchronised with Joseph Haydn's oratorio “The Seasons”. www.schlosskonzerte.de
Cool down below ground
Whether its caves, coal pits or tunnels, places below ground are ideal for escaping the heat. Adventurous visitors will find what they're looking for in the Kluterthöhle cave in Ennepetal. Here, some of the cave tours lead through unlit passages that are so narrow that you can only crawl through on your stomach.
