Kaarst offers something for visitors with a range of interests: conditions vary between the different sections of Kaarster See, the town hall and sculpture park feature works of art, and the history of mills and churches adds further highlights. A cycling route along the North Canal rounds out the options. When planning your trip, it is worth keeping your specific reason for visiting and the places you want to see in mind.
The lakes and their different conditions
Kaarster See consists of a large and a small lake. The small lake covers 6 hectares and is up to 5 metres deep. It is home to a recreational area with a small and a large beach; lifeguards and the German Life Saving Association (DLRG) are on site. Swimming is prohibited in the large lake. So if water is important to your stay, plan around the specific section of the lake: the two areas differ both in their stated size and in the information about how they can be used.
Art in the town hall and sculpture park
The town hall atrium houses the “Bürgerschwalbennest”, an accessible art installation by M. Wiegand. In the basement of the town hall is the “Gläserner Grundstein”, a kind of mini-museum. In the sculpture park, works by 23 artists are mounted on art steles. The art venues described here therefore range from a single installation and a mini-museum to works by numerous artists in the park.
Churches and architectural history
Alt St. Martin is a small, three-aisled Romanesque basilica dating from the 12th century. The Martinus art trail runs between the parish churches of Alt St. Martin and St. Martinus. The Michaelskapelle is located on the first floor of the bell tower of St. Aldegundis. Its floor plan is shaped like an eight-leaf clover; the chapel is not open to visitors. This distinction is useful when planning if you want to include churches and art trails in your itinerary.
Milling and rural culture
Brauns MĂĽhle is a tower windmill built in 1756 from fire-resistant bricks. Its exhibition rooms present the history of milling in the Lower Rhine region. The Tuppenhof houses a museum dedicated to rural history and culture. The two places therefore focus on different subjects: Brauns MĂĽhle highlights milling in the Lower Rhine region, while the Tuppenhof focuses on rural history and culture.
Cycling route along the North Canal and regional context
The Fietsallee am Nordkanal is a cycling route following the traces of the unfinished North Canal between the Rhine and the Meuse. Blue signs along the route provide information about the canal, and there are also individually designed rest areas. The route thus combines cycling with a specific theme from regional history.
In Rhein-Kreis Neuss, the wider travel destination, the cycling infrastructure extends for around 1,200 kilometres and includes a junction network and clear signage. The Rhine Cycle Route, Erft Cycle Route, Fietsallee am Nordkanal, Niederrhein Route and Hanse Cycle Route pass through the district as regional themed cycling routes. All of these routes are signposted except for the Hanse Cycle Route. This information applies to Rhein-Kreis Neuss as a whole; for Kaarst itself, the Fietsallee am Nordkanal is the specific cycling route described here.
Getting there and event dates
Kaarst has direct access to the A52 and A57 motorways. Kaarst can be reached by S-Bahn via the S8 line between Aachen and Dortmund and the Regiobahn S28 line between Kaarst and Mettmann. If you are travelling by train, check the current timetable before setting off, as schedules can change.
Kaarst Total city festival takes place every year on the first weekend in September. If you want to plan your trip around the festival, check the exact event dates in advance. This will help you distinguish an occasion tied to specific dates from the thematic highlights of lakes, art, mills and cycling routes.
Discover more destinations: Dormagen, Rommerskirchen, Meerbusch, JĂĽchen, Neuss, Korschenbroich, Grevenbroich.
Go to the wider travel overview: Kreis Neuss.
