Burgau Castle and the Leopold Hoesch Museum offer different perspectives on Düren: one focuses on the history of a restored castle with regularly changing exhibitions, while the other highlights the painting of classical modernism. The wider Düren destination also includes places to visit in Jülich, Inden and Heimbach, as well as cycling routes through the region. Which highlights you include in your travel plans depends on whether you are mainly interested in art and history or also in scenery and outdoor activities.

Burgau Castle: Destruction, Restoration and Exhibitions

Burgau Castle was destroyed in 1944 and remained a ruin until 1975. Restoration began in 1998. This sequence gives the site a distinctive historical dimension: decades passed between its destruction and reconstruction. Burgau Castle regularly hosts temporary exhibitions by regional and national artists. If you would like to plan a visit around a particular exhibition, check the current dates and themes before you go.

The Leopold Hoesch Museum in Düren is an art museum with outstanding collections of paintings from the classical modernist period. Artists represented include Kirchner, Nolde, Jawlensky, Kokoschka, Barlach and Dix. These names offer a useful guide for anyone interested in this period in art; at the same time, a museum visit has a different focus from the changing exhibitions at Burgau Castle. The works on display at the museum may vary.

More Destinations in the Wider Düren Destination

In Jülich, the citadel combines an almost completely preserved and restored fortification with a ducal palace in the style of the Italian High Renaissance. It is considered the oldest complex of its kind north of the Alps. You can explore the ramparts, bastions and casemates independently or as part of a guided tour; check the current visiting options when planning your visit. The citadel offers a different historical perspective from Burgau Castle, with a focus on fortifications and Renaissance architecture.

Also in Jülich is Brückenkopf Park. Its offerings include play and sports facilities, a zoo and numerous cultural events for the whole family. This makes it a different kind of excursion from the art and history destinations; if you have a particular day in mind, it is worth checking the current event dates.

In Inden, the 36-metre-high Indemann stands on the Goltsteinkuppe, which, at just under 150 metres, is the highest elevation in the municipality of Inden. Viewing platforms on the sculpture offer views of the Inden open-cast mining landscape. You can also walk along its outstretched arm. The focus here is on views of the mining landscape and a striking structure, rather than an indoor exhibition.

Heimbach adds another highlight to the wider Düren destination with its Art Nouveau power station. The power station began operating in 1905, still generates electricity today and is completely preserved. It is considered a unique Art Nouveau building in Europe. The region therefore brings together different forms of cultural heritage: castle and fortification architecture, art collections and an Art Nouveau building that still serves to generate electricity.

Plan Cycling Routes and Stages

The routes also vary in scale. The RurUfer Cycle Route runs via Monschau to Einruhr, along the Rursee through the Rureifel, past Düren and Jülich, and through the Heinsberg region to Roermond. Train stations along the route allow you to plan your route and stages individually; this also makes some individual stages suitable as day trips. The approximately 20-kilometre Düren Lakes Circuit follows the Rur to Düren’s bathing lakes. Before setting off, check route conditions and the current options for travelling by train and taking your bicycle with you.

For the second option, your plans can be guided by the stages and the visiting or event dates at the destinations you select. This lets you choose accommodation to suit your planned itinerary, rather than grouping several different places together without deciding on the order.

Discover more destinations: Langerwehe, Kreuzau, Nideggen, Jülich, Linnich, Niederzier, Vettweiß, Hürtgenwald.

Go to the main travel overview: Düren.