Kerpen combines protected green spaces, cycling routes along the Erft and Neffelbach rivers, and cultural destinations such as Türnich Castle and the House of Art and History. When planning your trip, you have a clear choice: should nature and outdoor activities take center stage, or would you prefer to focus on culture?
Green Spaces and Cycling Routes in Kerpen
The Stadtwald Horrem nature reserve has been in existence since 1998 and covers 17.88 hectares. Kerpener Parrig and Kerpener Broich are two other nature reserves and important green spaces for local recreation in Kerpen. The area of Stadtwald Horrem gives you a concrete measure of its size; Parrig and Broich offer a different emphasis as green spaces for local recreation.
Well-maintained cycling routes run along and through natural, floodplain-type forests beside the Erft and Neffelbach rivers. This gives cyclists a distinct focus alongside the green spaces. The routes follow the two named waterways and the floodplain landscape—another way to include Kerpen’s natural attractions in your trip plans.
Exhibitions and Türnich Castle
The House of Art and History in Kerpen is an exhibition venue. Türnich Castle is a Baroque castle in Kerpen with a farm shop and an orchard park. The destinations offer different cultural experiences: one focuses on exhibitions, while the other combines a Baroque castle, a farm shop and an orchard park. When planning your visit, you can decide whether to focus more on exhibitions or on Türnich Castle.
Plan Your Journey by Train
There are three Deutsche Bahn stations in the Kerpen districts of Horrem, Sindorf and Buir. From there, Düren, Aachen and Cologne are reachable every ten minutes. If you are arriving by train, include the station that best suits your connection in your plans. Check the timetable before you travel so you can confirm the current details of the connections mentioned.
The three districts provide specific starting points for planning your journey, but there is no reason to assume you need to stay in any particular location. When choosing a hotel, it is helpful to first consider whether you want to focus your stay on Kerpen or include the wider region.
The Wider Region: Rhein-Erft District
The Rhein-Erft district is home to castles, fortresses, museums and historic mills. As part of the Cologne Lowland, the district is one of Germany’s regions with the highest concentration of moated castles. For cycling, the district has its own Water Castles Route; hiking, cycling and water sports are also available as recreational activities.
One example of the cultural attractions in the Rhein-Erft district is the BERGHEIMAT Museum in Bergheim. It presents Bergheim’s history through interactive audio and activity stations as well as a small museum cinema; the museum combines permanent and temporary exhibitions. These regional destinations broaden the picture beyond Kerpen, without conflating the town with the entire Rhein-Erft district. When planning your overnight stay, first decide whether Kerpen itself or the Rhein-Erft district as the wider setting for your trip should be your focus.
Discover more destinations: Hürth, Brühl, Frechen, Buir, Elsdorf, Erftstadt, Bergheim, Pulheim
Back to the regional travel overview: Rhein-Erft district.
