On the edge of the popular Königsforst recreational area, Cologne-Brück combines forest landscapes with local history that can be seen along the Flehbach. When planning a trip, you can choose between spending time in the protected woodland and exploring the area: the focus can be on hiking, cycling or riding trails, wildlife watching, or historic buildings and traces of the past around the market square.

Trails and wildlife in the Königsforst

The Königsforst is a protected woodland covering around 2,519 hectares in eastern Cologne. Numerous hiking, cycling and riding trails offer different ways to experience this recreational landscape. Those who enjoy choosing between different routes will find a different focus here than on a set cycling tour.

The “Cycling in the Königsforst” tour passes through the Brücker Hardt and by the forest nature trail on its way to the Brück Wildlife Park. The forest nature trail in Brück introduces various tree and shrub species from temperate zones. Deer and wild boar can be observed and fed at the wildlife park. The cycling tour thus follows an educational trail to a place where watching and feeding animals are possible. As route conditions can change, it is advisable to check them before setting out.

The Flehbach and historic routes

At Brück market square, markings in the paving show the course of the Flehbach beneath it. The old Brüderstraße trade route is also connected with this location: it ran from Cologne-Deutz to Westphalia and crossed a bridge at the market square. For many centuries, this bridge spanned the Flehbach and its associated marshy floodplain. The paving markings and the historic route therefore reveal different aspects of local history in the same place.

The Flehbach has been restored to a more natural state both upstream and downstream of Brück market square. The aim was to restore its original character as a lowland stream. The stream is therefore part of both the historic landscape around the market square and the restoration of the sections above and below it.

Churches, a mill and a settlement by the forest

The present-day Catholic parish church of St. Hubertus in Brück was built between 1930 and 1931. A chapel built in Brück in 1708 had St. Hubertus as its patron saint from 1716 onward. These dates provide different historical points of reference for the name St. Hubertus in Brück; they do not describe the same building.

Only the exterior walls of the Erker Mill building remain today. The Erker Mill is described as an overshot grain mill, and Wilhelm Busch is named as its owner. This site therefore brings together the present-day condition of the remains and the mill’s stated function.

The settlement on Klausenberg is another distinctive local landmark: two arched gateway houses mark its entrance, and the settlement lies directly beside the forest. In terms of transport history, Brück was connected to Cologne by a light railway in 1906, corresponding to today’s Line 1. This historic connection adds the story of Brück’s link to Cologne to the discoveries of its forests, the Flehbach and local architecture.

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