Erkrath can be explored from different perspectives: the “Alt-Erkrath Monument Route” Discovery Loop connects historic buildings with natural landscapes. The Neandertal also extends through Erkrath and is a vast recreational landscape. There is also a nature conservation center offering educational programs and the Neanderbad. This means you can find a range of focuses in the area, from architectural and natural history to learning and swimming.
Monument Route: Historic Buildings and Natural Landscapes
The “Alt-Erkrath Monument Route” Discovery Loop is just over 13 kilometers long. It connects Erkrath’s oldest and most historically significant buildings with the natural landscapes of the Stinderbach Valley, Rotthäuser Bach Valley, and Düssel Valley. The route’s name points to its focus on architectural history; the three valleys mentioned are also part of the route. This makes the loop an option if you would like to take in historic places and landscapes together on an outing.
The distance gives you a clear idea of the route’s length, while its themes show how it differs from individual cultural or nature activities. When planning, keep in mind that the Monument Route itself connects several landscape areas and historic buildings. You therefore don’t need to add nature as a separate theme to take in both aspects.
The Neandertal and Nature Education
The Neandertal is a vast recreational landscape that extends, among other places, through Erkrath. The area also has a specific connection to prehistory: the former limestone quarry in the Neandertal was where skeletal remains of Neanderthals were found. The landscape and the historic discovery site thus offer different perspectives on the same named area. The quarry is described as a former discovery site; this does not imply anything about public access today.
The Bruchhausen Nature Conservation Center offers another way to learn about nature. Located in Erkrath, it is a nature conservation and environmental education center, as well as an extracurricular learning and activity venue. Guided tours and workshops in natural sciences and geography are offered for school classes. This is a specific group activity for educational purposes and adds an educational focus to the landscape-related topics. If your trip plans include an activity for a school class, these tours and workshops are explicitly intended for that audience.
Swimming at the Neanderbad
The Neanderbad has a sports pool with eight swimming lanes and a combined teaching and leisure pool for the whole family. The pools serve different purposes: lane swimming in the sports pool, and learning and recreation in the combined pool. As facilities and operating conditions can change, check the operator’s latest information before visiting.
Culture and Other Routes in the Wider Destination of Mettmann
In the wider destination of Mettmann, the City History Museum traces more than a thousand years of history. Across three floors, the exhibition covers everything from the early historic long-distance trade route “strata coloniensis” and the construction of the royal estate during the reign of Charlemagne to the present day. The Mettmann Art House adds an artistic perspective, with around twelve exhibitions and visual arts events each year. The range includes painting, sculpture, photography, and object and video art; both subsidized and private exhibitions feature artists from Germany and abroad. This is an approximate annual figure, and individual exhibition dates vary. Check the current program when planning a visit.
The Neanderthal Museum in the wider destination of Mettmann also offers various guided tours for adults and special tours for children’s groups. The “Mettmann Evolution Trail” creates a richly staged connection between the town of Mettmann and the museum. Check the museum’s latest information when making a booking. These activities offer a different focus from Erkrath’s nature and monument themes: a named route and a learning venue here, guided tours and a connection between town and museum there.
The scale of another route illustrates the difference between a local theme and an offering that covers the entire district: the neanderland STEIG is almost 240 kilometers long and circles the entire Mettmann district in 17 stages. By comparison, the just-over-13-kilometer Alt-Erkrath Monument Route is the more focused choice if you’re interested in Erkrath’s historic buildings and the three specifically named landscape areas. The STEIG offers a different scale for trip planning; its length and stages cover the entire district.
Discover more destinations: Wülfrath, Hilden, Monheim am Rhein, Haan, Heiligenhaus, Ratingen, Velbert, Mettmann.
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